


Like A Fire

by orphan_account



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Mutants, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Mutant, Mutant Powers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-01-18 01:24:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12378021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The Mutant AU nobody asked for.orHeechul can't get his power in check, and it might become a problem if he doesn't deal with it; so he does the only thing he can.He goes to a school that caters to others like him. A mutant school.He doesn't know what to expect, but at least he can finally stop burning everything.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work is unbeta-ed, so all grammatical errors or misspellings are mine. This is also my first work in this fandom, so I still haven't gotten much of a feel for how to write the characters. Comments and kudos are much appreciated!

                “Heechul, wake up,” a gentle voice called. A grumble answered it.

                “Come on. Wake up,” the same high pitched voice urged, changing volume slightly, going up and down – as if the speaker was moving around.

                Cat like onyx brown eyes fluttered open, glazed with sleepiness. Plump rosy red lips parted in confusion. Short cherry red hair swept to the left stood up in all directions, flaring up like embers from a crown. Limbs, long and lanky, squirmed about before stilling then stretching. Puffy pale skin was pulled around the soft, round cheeks of the tall figure. The boy pushed himself off of the white tiles he rested on, a faint grey sweatshirt dragging on the floor and covering the boy’s upper frame; black ripped jeans decorated his lower body.

                Brown eyes blinked open and close for a few more times before focusing.

                “Oh. Thanks Leeteuk hyung,” the redhead greeted, low voice roughened with sleep.

                The man across him smiled a wide smile with thin pink lips. Russet brown eyes closed into crescents in delight. His short, fringed chestnut hair swept to the left was tousled, hinting that the boy had only recently roused from slumber as well. Sharp cheeks and a thin nose were slightly swollen – further proof of the previous stupor the boy experienced. His ecru tan skin was covered by a white polo shirt and washed out jeans.

                “No problem, dongsaeng,” Leeteuk assured with a grin, hiking a grey and blue backpack onto his right shoulder. He stretched out a hand for Heechul to take. Heechul retaliated with a roll of his eyes.

                The redhead then grasped the outstretched hand before proceeding to pull himself up. Heechul quickly let go of Leeteuk's palm then dusted off his pants, straightened his sweatshirt, and arranged his hair. His body wavered slightly – though not because of weakness.

                Heechul bent down and grabbed a red duffel bag, clutching it with both hands before looking around. The area was swimming with people; teens with bags and cases hooked their packs around their hands. The pitter patter of steps bounced off of the varnished wooden floor and echoed around reflective white walls – they were in a boat. The people swayed in gentle unison as the vehicle rocked from side to side.

                Heechul leant on a nearby wall and inched close to Leeteuk. “How much longer is it until the boat docks and we get out of here?” Heechul inquired, rubbing the remnants of sleep away from his eyes.

                “About five minutes or so,” Leeteuk replied, his eyes flicking downwards to the white watch on his wrist.

                “Five minutes until we sacrifice our lives to the grueling activities of school,” Heechul grumbled. Leeteuk chuckled.

                “Aw come on, you know it’ll help you. Plus, at least the email said there wasn’t much homework. And if there was, we could complain if the homework became too much,” Leeteuk reasoned. Heechul raised mischievous eyes to the brunet.

                “Is it just me or did Head Boy just encourage being lazy? Don’t tell me you’re going to complain your way through school,” Heechul teased. Leeteuk cuffed him playfully.

                “You’re comparing me to yourself,” Leeteuk responded. Heechul feigned a hurt look.

                “Me? Lazy? In what world?” Heechul said, onyx orbs deadpan. Leeteuk rolled his eyes and sighed.

                “All of them,” the brunet muttered good-naturedly. Heechul didn’t hear him and started playing with his phone.

* * *

                The boat docked seven minutes later with a mild lurch. The docking announcement came over the PA systems and students flurried to the exit. Leeteuk tried pushing through to no avail, while Heechul just watched the elder absentmindedly and pocketed his mobile.

                Leeteuk let out a heavy breath as he stalked back to the end of the boat. “Let them grovel and get lost,” Leeteuk mumbled, earning a smirk from Heechul.

                “Hey, at least I have a Head Boy to help me not get lost, right?” Heechul chirped. Leeteuk looked at him with a raised eyebrow and an unamused look. Heechul swiftly raised his hands up in surrender. “Friend privileges,” Heechul added, raising his shoulders as if to make a point. Leeteuk gently thwacked him on the head before laughing.

                “Prick,” Leeteuk said gleefully. Heechul batted his eyelashes at the other.

                “Your one and only.”

                “Gross, you sap!”

* * *

                When Leeteuk and Heechul had vacated the boat, the people started grouping together in small patches here and there. The mass of bodies all started moving forward, exclamations of awe and surprise mingling in the air all around them.

                In front of them stood a large compound; buildings stood tall as they towered over the swarm of teenagers. Morning light gleamed on each of the four buildings – making them look ethereal. The buildings were at least two floors tall; all painted a derivation of beige. There was grandeur around each structure mixing with the mystery in the air. The buildings were majestic by their own; each looked like they belonged in a time that was not its own. But even more awe inspiring was the scenery that stretched out from behind the buildings. Trees tall and short were littered everywhere with their leaves dancing in the wind gently. Grass seemed to go on infinitely, bending and swaying obediently to the gusts. A lake, crystal clear and blue was placed in the middle of the green expanse. The water seemed to greet them at their arrival, making the faintest crashes of waves. And beyond what their eyes could see, a forest sprouted and colored the horizon jade.

                “Holy shit it’s as pretty as me,” Heechul suddenly breathed out, abruptly bringing the moment crashing down on him and Leeteuk. Leeteuk couldn’t do anything but laugh, throwing his body forward.

                Moments passed before Leeteuk straightened once more and wiped away at the tears in his eyes. There was still a movement to his shoulders, and a soft series of giggles escaped from his lips before he finally calmed down.

                “Well, I’d never have thought I’d see the day,” Leeteuk joked. Heechul grinned at him.

                “Me neither.”

* * *

                The swarm of bodies had rushed forward, clueless as to their goal, but eager to see past the buildings and revel in the beauty of the compound. It was then that Leeteuk rushed to the forefront and blocked the sea of people – as much as he could.

                “Year enrollees!” Leeteuk bellowed, and the noise and movement died down in a domino effect. Heechul was beside him, looking between the brunet and the students.

                “My name is Park Jungsoo, but you can just call me Leeteuk. I am this year’s Head Boy. For those of you unaware, that means that I am a student that the school has designated to lead this year’s enrollees,” Leeteuk began. “So if you would all please follow me, I will lead you to the meeting room,” he concluded, voice still booming over the heads of the students. A small murmur broke out through the crowd, but Leeteuk paid it no attention and turned, walking towards one of the large and looming buildings. Heechul followed behind the shorter yet older man, only glancing once behind him and seeing the ocean of people following at snail’s pace.

                Heechul leaned in to whisper into Leeteuk’s ear. “They’re slow as hell,” he informed. Leeteuk turned at the other’s commentary and saw that the enrollees were, indeed, slow as hell.

                 “Please walk a bit faster! We are on a time constriction and there is a possibility of sanctions,” Leeteuk warned loudly, before turning once more to the building in front of him.

                At the threat of punishment, the students visibly hastened. Heechul snickered and patted Leeteuk on the back.

                “Your first hurdle has been overcome,” Heechul quipped. Leeteuk smiled at the other before cuffing him again.

                “Ow!” Heechul exclaimed, halting for a second before starting again and holding his head.

                “Whiny baby,” Leeteuk muttered lightly.

                Heechul only grumbled further.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All errors and misspellings are mine, as this work is unbeta-ed. I hope you all like it!

                It hadn’t taken that long to get into the building, thankfully. It was also another blessing that the meeting room was on the first floor; otherwise the enrollees – Heechul included – would have probably tripped over each other going up the stairs. Heechul bounded forward into the pale yellow room and sat himself and his bag down in advance as Leeteuk led the students inside and told them to sit down.

                After Leeteuk had rounded all of the students up and noise started to fill the room, he sat himself down next to Heechul – Heechul had picked out a seat near the front and next to the window – and removed his backpack from his shoulders. Heechul patted Leeteuk’s head as the older sighed out a long breath.

                “You’re getting old. It’s okay,” Heechul muttered offhandedly as he pet the other’s hair. Leeteuk hit the other’s arm slightly, earning an exaggerated hiss from the feline man next to him.

                “You know it’s true,” Heechul combated. Leeteuk turned to him and raised disbelieving eyes.

                “Only if you agree you’re old, too,” Leeteuk challenged. Heechul grinned in response.

                “I don’t, but it’s good that you’ve finally accepted that you’re growing wrinkly,” Heechul bantered, smirking slyly in victory. Leeteuk shook his head in exasperation, but there was a smile playing on his lips.

                Heechul looked around out of boredom after the quip, and he couldn’t note anything of much importance in the room. The walls were just a plain washed out yellow and the floor was just cream tiles. The only thing in the room was the insurmountable amount of chairs, an oak door at the back, and the podium in front. There was a small platform that the podium rested on, and it seemed old but not quite worn. Everything actually looked quite new despite what would be the probable age of the room.

                He started paying more attention to the minute details of the room.

                The podium was scratched and scathed, and bits of the dark wood seemed foggy. The material of the log seemed to not be from around the area – Heechul had only seen large deciduous trees and some pine trees in the island so far – but to be honest, Heechul hadn’t ever seen a tree with such a shade of brown. Of course he wasn’t necessarily qualified for picking out woods and trees, but he doubted that any tree could look so red even without varnishing. The chairs were just the plain yellow monoblock chairs, though Heechul couldn’t see if they had any other special attributes due to the mass of people. The platform seemed to be old walnut, all faded fibers and sunken patches. The walls, tiles, and doors were truly just plain; but they were clean.

                A creak sounded through the room and Heechul averted his eyes to the right corner of the room, where another oak door now resided and opened. He hadn’t noticed that before. Where’d that come from?

                It seemed like none of the other enrollees knew either, as a group near the now present door shrieked. A man emerged from the new doorway dressed neatly in a suit and started walking towards the podium. As the door clicked shut, it disappeared. Murmurs broke out through the room, and Heechul was staring on in confusion. What type of Mutation was that?

                The newly appeared man had graying black hair combed neatly to the sides. His face was fairly young, though definitely wrinkled. His eyes were dark, and his lips were pale and thin. His light skin was clothed in a suit colored grey and white. Heechul guessed this was the school director that was supposedly going to give them a message.

                Some people in the back started clapping, and the rest followed suit. Heechul clasped his hands together awkwardly while Leeteuk clapped enthusiastically.

                The applause died down after a few moments, and the elderly man cleared his throat. His head ducked down, and Heechul could see a stack of papers peeking out of the podium.

                “My name is Kim Young-min, and I am the director of this campus,” the aged man introduced. Heechul was already starting to get bored by the man’s low drawl. Heechul groaned in irritation as his eyes attempted to droop, but he fought to pay attention.

                “I, along with the staff and teachers of this school welcome you all. Here, in the School of Hanguk, our goal is to help children control and hone their Mutation. The sole purpose of the school is to help those who feel lost with their Mutation or those who wish to further enable themselves control of their ability and further enhance their skills,” the director stated, and Heechul remembered reading those words in the acceptance letter he’d received by email.

                “With this thought in mind, we also wish for you to accustom yourself to the daily hustle and bustle of the school. It is for this reason that for the next three days, we encourage you to take part in the activities and programs that the school has prepared for you. These will allow you to both familiarize yourselves with the school and also to understand how the school functions. And to begin the activities, we welcome you with a day of relaxation. The Head Boy will aid you all,” Young-min said. The director stopped, and Heechul couldn’t help but question why the man seemed to be so awkward with speaking.  

                The students began clapping once more, with Heechul doing so in a rather disinterested manner. The door in the corner of the room reappeared, and the director stalked to the oak door. He left how he arrived – quiet, baffling, but simple.

                Heechul still didn’t know what that Mutation was.

                The students began standing up and the buzzing of voices began bounding off of the walls. Heechul started moving for his pocketed phone and earphones as he stood. Before he could do so, however, Leeteuk jumped up from his chair abruptly and Heechul’s eyes snapped to the older.

                “Year enrollees! Before everything else, I will be the one to lead you all to the dorms. Please follow me accordingly and try to group together, if possible,” the brunet shouted over the heads of the enrollees. Heechul observed as the sea of students obliged obediently and filed themselves into small groups.

                Leeteuk pushed through the crowd and exited through the only present door. Heechul followed close behind the brunet and scampered to his side. Leeteuk glanced at him and smiled. Heechul turned to him and smiled back mischievously.

* * *

                The dorms had been on the completely opposite side of the courtyard. Some students were complaining about the heat as they crossed the grass, but Leeteuk had moved quickly and ushered the students into the dormitory building. Once the ocean of enrollees had been situated into the first floor, Leeteuk announced the instructions.

                “Your luggage has been deposited in the room to the left for the boys and to the right for the girls,” Leeteuk hollered, arms gesturing to two rooms packed with bags and trunks. “They are assorted there by name. Please head up to the fourth floor once you have attained your things. You may decide on roommates and rooms to your liking. After you have arranged your rooms, you can find the cafeteria on the third left turn in this hallway. Please return to the earlier meeting room by eight o’ clock in the morning tomorrow. Any further questions can be directed at me or you can consult your emails. Thank you all for your attention and please rest well,” Leeteuk finished professionally, voice starting to get hoarse by the sheer volume he used.

                The enrollees all leapt into action, boys and girls diverging from each other and scuttling towards the bag-filled rooms. Leeteuk and Heechul looked at each other and sighed.

                “We’re going to get our things last, aren’t we?” Heechul grumbled, crossing his arms. Leeteuk nodded, but there was a small smile on his lips.

                “It’s not like we’re that pressed for time,” Leeteuk offered. Heechul snorted.

                “You and your kind heart,” Heechul muttered.

                Leeteuk laughed but started walking to the left. Heechul rolled his eyes and grabbed Leeteuk’s arm, tailing the other. They entered the left hand room and started looking for their luggage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, cheering on One More Chance! I absolutely love the MV and song(you go Donghae)! I'm especially looking forward to Black Suit!  
> Super Junior Fighting!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Still unbeta-ed!)

                The fourth floor – with walls painted a warm grey and the floor covered with a thin cream carpet – was filled to the brim with students and bags. Groups of friends were trading rooms with other enrollees for a chance at being roommates or neighbors with one another. Endless chatter and noise permeated the air as trunks were rolled noisily into rooms and bags were thrown.

                Leeteuk had procured his baggage much earlier than Heechul – after all, compared to Park, there were many more Kims present. Heechul had openly complained once he and Leeteuk met up at the fourth floor.

                “Not only are my arms about to fall off – I mean seriously, four flights of stairs – but there were sweaty bodies all over me!” Heechul cried amidst the horde of teenagers surrounding them. Some students glared and stomped away at hearing the redhead’s exclamation. Leeteuk feigned a sympathetic look for the younger boy beside him.

                “Well, once we find a room, you can be sure that you can wash that sweaty body stench off of you, yeah?” Leeteuk reasoned. Heechul continued grumbling, but there was a sudden excitement to his movements and his eyes started darting around.

* * *

 

                It was only minutes later that Heechul had come crashing into Leeteuk to announce that he’d found an empty room. Leeteuk had tumbled uneasily as the other grabbed his wrist and all but dragged him into the space. The room plaque rested on the right side of the teak wood door. Heechul eagerly rolled his bags into the dormitory room, placed his things in the middle of the expanse, and glanced around.

            The room was much like the others Heechul had looked at – plain and spacious; shaped like an ‘L’ flipped ninety degrees to the left and turned upside-down – though Heechul had been able to spot that this one was by far cleaner. The door was made of teak and varnished cleanly.  The marbled blue walls weren’t stained with shoeprints like the other rooms and instead were just dusty. The burgundy floor was faded but not stained. The overhead ceiling had two vents and was covered with a grey felt material. The two cabinets were pushed into the back and seemed to be made of birch; they took up quite a bit of space. The four mattresses in the room weren’t stained yellow from sweat and dirt, thankfully. Next to the mattresses were bedside cabinets painted white with two compartments. There was a door in one of the corners and Heechul assumed it was the entrance to the bathroom.

                Leeteuk quickly took notice of the room number – 407 – before he rolled his large grey luggage and placed his backpack in the room after Heechul, placing them next to Heechul’s two bags of luggage – one red and one black – and the younger’s duffle bag. Leeteuk set to opening his bags while Heechul checked out the rest of the furniture and ventured into the bathroom.

                Leeteuk was removing his third stack of shirts from his grey luggage bag when Heechul sat down in front of him and started reaching for his red baggage. “The closets are split in the middle,” Heechul informed as he unzipped the bag in his hands. Leeteuk nodded his head as an act of gratitude. “There are also eleven sockets in total; ten out here and one in the bathroom. Speaking of the bathroom, there’s a cabinet mirror thing with first aid supplies in it. The shower has a heater, too, but it looks like those models that take, like, five minutes before it heats up but less than a damn second to cool down,” Heechul continued. Leeteuk let out a mildly disappointed ‘Ah’. Heechul sighed in a form of agreement. “Yeah. Oh by the way, the extra bed covers are in the bedside cabinets,” Heechul said finally, flipping open his bag’s cover as he ended his sentence. Leeteuk nodded once more in acknowledgement.

                “Thanks,” Leeteuk said. Heechul hummed, taking out a tower of sweaters and sweatshirts. Leeteuk glanced at the said bundle of clothes and queried, “Chilly?” to which Heechul nodded.

                “Yep,” Heechul vocalized, popping the ‘p’. Leeteuk chuckled at the other’s childish behavior.

                “You’re such a child,” Leeteuk chided. Heechul could only pretend to look offended.

* * *

                Leeteuk had finished organizing his clothes first – after all, he had less things to begin with and started earlier – so he just helped Heechul with the younger’s belongings. Leeteuk was sifting through Heechul’s shirts when he pulled out a long, thin fabric. At the sight of the cloth, Leeteuk burst out into loud laughter.

                “Did you really?” Leeteuk asked through his snickers, showing Heechul the textile in his hands. Heechul just shrugged.

                “Don’t make fun of my Asuka,” Heechul said, grabbing the material from Leeteuk’s loose fingers. Leeteuk shook his head in amusement.

                “Wasn’t my intention,” Leeteuk confessed with a grin. Heechul glared at him but continued arranging his stuff into rows and columns.

                Heechul was setting down his red bag’s final heap of socks when the teak door creaked on its hinges. Heechul’s head snapped towards the door, sending cherry locks everywhere. Leeteuk, on the other hand, turned his head curiously and carefully.

                Two boys were peeking in through a small gap between the door and the doorway at the same time, with one under the other. The one underneath had mahogany hair brushed to the left, fraying over his eyes slightly. His skin was a light tan and was dressed in a plain white shirt and black skinny jeans. Deep, round hazel eyes searched the room.

                The male above him was incredibly tall. He had jet black hair swept away from his face and his sunkissed skin. His features were all sharp angles and defined lines, but his coffee eyes were warm and kind. His clothes were a navy blue button-up and dark blue jeans.

* * *

 

                Coffee, hazel, and onyx met each other in an intense stare. Heechul’s eyes were fixed on the two standing in the doorway, unmoving and piercing.

                Leeteuk was the one to break the silence between them.

                "Hello there. Do you two need something?" he inquired kindly.

                The three snapped out of their trances, and the tallest boy nodded at Leeteuk. The boy then pulled open the door a slight bit more – just so that he and the smaller boy need not squish themselves. 

                "Uh... Yes," the boy began. Heechul noted that this boy’s voice was deep. "My friend and I have been looking for a room, and we'd like to ask if we could room with you?" the tall boy finished, and the dark-haired male behind him nodded and smiled in agreement to the other's words. Leeteuk glanced at Heechul, but the younger merely shrugged, muttering a hushed, “Your call.”

                “Of course,” Leeteuk said, waving the two inside. The two in the doorway seemed to light up, and they scrambled for the bags behind them. The taller one had two black bags of luggage while the brunet among the two had a grey bag of luggage and a brown duffel bag. They brought the bags inside and set them an awkward space away from Heechul and Leeteuk.

                “We don’t bite. Unless you want us to,” Heechul said thoughtlessly, going back to his bags and opening his black baggage.

                “You can put your things here. It’s better to talk and familiarize ourselves with each other,” Leeteuk supplied helpfully. The black-haired boy smiled and nodded gratefully.

                “Thank you,” the two newcomers said in sync. Heechul and Leeteuk both waved away their worries.

                “It’s really no problem,” Leeteuk said, scooting over to give the two some space.

                The two boys set down their bags in the spot Leeteuk had cleared and sat to Heechul’s left. Heechul looked up from his bag and glanced around. With a roll of his eyes and a return of his attention to the bag in front of him, he breathed out, “Introductions.”

                Leeteuk nodded, showing his compliance with the blunt suggestion. The dark-haired boy and the black-haired boy glanced at each other and then turned to Leeteuk. The Head Boy smiled warmly at them in response.

                “I’ll start, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of the gang is going to be introduced from this point on! Hope you look forward to it!  
> Also, PLAY is _sooooo_ good!  
>  SuJu fighting!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta-ed work. All mistakes and errors are mine and mine alone.

                “I’m Park Jungsoo, but you can just call me Leeteuk. I’m eighteen years old and my birthday is on July 1. I’m from Seoul. You’ll probably know that I’m head boy. My Mutation is labeled Astral Projection, and I started showing my Mutation at seven years old,” Leeteuk introduced, voice kind and warm.

                The black-haired boy was the next to speak up. “My name is Choi Siwon, and I go by Siwon. I’m sixteen years old, and my birthday is on the 7th of April. I’m also from Seoul,” Siwon said proudly, earning another smile from Leeteuk. “My Mutation is Super Strength, and my age at the time of its appearance was thirteen,” Siwon concluded. Heechul looked up from his bag and eyed Siwon suspiciously. Siwon smiled uneasily.

                “Are you a chaebol or something?” Heechul murmured curiously. Siwon kept smiling, but the uneasy expression was instead replaced by embarrassment.

                “Ah… yes. How’d you know?” Siwon asked in return. Heechul grinned victoriously.

                “It’s a bit obvious with how you speak,” Heechul declared, still grinning, but now focusing his attention on the conversation. Both Siwon and the mahogany-haired boy raised their eyebrows at the redhead’s surprisingly observant nature.

                “I’ll go next,” the dark-haired brunet offered, somewhat excited. “I’m Lee Donghae, and people just call me Donghae or Hae. I’m also sixteen years old, but my birthday is on October 15. I’m from Mokpo, so I’m not that far away from home,” Donghae said, a wide smile suddenly adorning his features. Heechul thought it looked a bit cute, actually.

                “My Mutation is Camouflage. I was ten years old when it started showing,” Donghae ended happily.

                Three heads turned in unison towards Heechul. Heechul stretched out his arms then laid them on his lap.

                “My name’s Kim Heechul, and I just go by Heechul. I’m eighteen, and I was born July 10 instead. I’m from Gangwon-do but I moved to Seoul,” Heechul said, and Siwon once more smiled brightly at the mention of his hometown.

                “I started showing signs of it when I was eleven,” Heechul started slowly. There was a hesitance in the declaration that Siwon took notice of. Heechul breathed in deeply and looked cautiously at Siwon and Donghae before continuing.

                “And my Mutation is Wildfire,” Heechul said quickly. Siwon’s eyes widened dramatically, and Donghae breathed out a surprised exclamation of ‘An elemental?’ at the statement. Leeteuk only smiled at the other’s reactions and patted them on the back.

                “Let’s get into the technicalities later, yeah?” Leeteuk offered before the younger pair could bombard Heechul with inquiries.

                “Let’s fix our stuff and talk about room arrangements first,” Heechul supplied, agreeing with the eldest. Donghae nodded as Siwon smiled warmly and voiced his concurrence.

* * *

 

                “Dibs on the left corner bed,” Heechul declared as he cleared out his duffel bag of his valuables. When he finished his sentence, he raised challenging eyes to the younger pair in the room. Leeteuk tore his eyes away from his backpack – it contained an assortment of gadgets and other products – and chuckled at Heechul’s expression.

                “If Donghae and Siwon are fine with it, why not,” Leeteuk said, glancing at the aforementioned two.

                The younger males looked up from their bundles of possessions to agree. Donghae gave an affirmative nod to the eldest while Siwon said, “Of course,” kindly in turn.

                “Chaebol,” Heechul muttered under his breath, eliciting a rumbling laugh from Siwon.

                “I suppose I’ll take the other left bed, if that’s alright?” Leeteuk asked softly. Donghae expressed his agreement with a ‘Sure, hyung’ while Siwon now nodded in affirmation.

                “Can I have the other corner bed?” Donghae asked cutely afterwards. Siwon didn’t seem to want the corner bed in particular and smiled, saying, “No problem,” while Donghae lit up. A comfortable silence passed afterwards, the rustling of clothes filling the air.

* * *

 

                The birch closets were opened and filled with various articles of clothing and other items. Heechul’s wardrobe – consisting mostly of shirts, sweatshirts, and pants in a wide array of colors – was on the extreme left, next to Leeteuk’s primarily white combination of clothes. Both Leeteuk and Heechul hung up their more formal clothes such as polos and button-ups, and then folded everything else into the compartments. Donghae and Siwon shared the right hand closet; multicolored fabrics filling the piece of furniture. Donghae had taken to hanging almost all of his tops except for plain shirts and then folding the rest. Siwon had hung up tops that easily creased and one – Heechul doesn’t know why Siwon brought any at all – suit. The rest of the tall male’s clothes were neatly folded into the other compartments of the closet.              

                Leeteuk was covering his mattress with the provided white sheets while Donghae and Siwon sat on the edge of their covered beds – blue and green respectively – texting their loved ones. Heechul was sitting on the floor, swiping through his social media on his phone.

                “I’m hungry,” Heechul announced loudly without warning, throwing his phone onto his uncovered mattress. He flopped backwards onto the now clothes free floor with a thud, causing Siwon to look away from his phone and worriedly glance at the older.

                “Are you okay, hyung?” Siwon asked, concerned.

                “No,” Heechul grumbled, and the alarmed heads of his roommates whipped towards him.

                “I’m hungry,” Heechul continued, making the tense air ease and instead be replaced by raucous laughter.

                “You should cover your bed first,” Leeteuk advised through chuckles, gesturing to the bare mattress next to his.

                The eldest settled his own white sheets on his mattress as the laughter died down, and at the same time, Heechul shook his head, mussing his hair on the floor.

                “Too lazy to. I’ll do it later after we’ve eaten and I’ve taken this sweat body stench off of me,” Heechul said, bringing his hand up to his face and draping it on his eyes. Leeteuk smiled slightly at the other’s words and decided to agree in the form of silence.

                “So when’re we going to eat lunch?” Heechul persisted, his voice obviously pointed at Leeteuk, who chuckled at the younger’s antics and glanced at his watch quickly. Donghae glanced at his phone at the same time and reacted faster than the older brunet.

                “We could go now, hyung,” Donghae said from the corner, turning his phone towards them to display the time. Leeteuk nodded afterwards, projecting his accordance with Donghae’s suggestion.

                “Then why aren’t we going yet?” Heechul said, displaying a shocking amount of agility as he removed his hand from his face and pushed himself off of the floor in one fluid motion. Siwon was clearly displaying his surprise with an amused smile and raised eyebrows while Leeteuk rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Donghae seemed tempted to clap for the redhead.

                “Do you have your wallet?” Leeteuk asked instead of answering. Heechul patted around in his pockets.

                “No,” Heechul answered simply.

                “Then go get it,” Leeteuk ordered.

                “Woof woof!” Heechul barked, grinning as he put up two hands on top of his cherry hair to mimic ears.

                Leeteuk shook his head as he chuckled. Siwon and Donghae were smiling brightly at the older.

                “Psycho,” Leeteuk muttered.

                Heechul huffed indignantly and mimicked a whimpering dog as he stalked off to get his things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh. Hope you liked it! Also, comments are much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes and/or errors are mine by all accounts.

Siwon shut the door behind him as he exited the room, the door ringing closed with a soft, metallic click. He then proceeded to walk towards Heechul, Leeteuk, and Donghae; they had all brought their wallets and phones, though Heechul had brought a pill bottle with him as well. Siwon and Donghae had decided to not bring it up, as there didn’t seem to be any cause for alarm. It was probably just vitamins.

            Once Siwon had situated himself beside Donghae, the four started trekking towards the staircase, turning left from their room and proceeding to the staircases. The staircase was in the middle of the floor, acting as a barrier for the female and male dorms.          

            “I still want to just roll down the stairs,” Heechul murmured as they walked, earning a look from Leeteuk. Donghae laughed lightly while Siwon smiled.

            “Don’t look at me like that. You know I’ve wanted to do that since I was a kid,” Heechul said, directing his words at Leeteuk. The older raised an eyebrow incredulously.

            “Yes, but it’s stupid. It was stupid and it still is,” Leeteuk quipped, turning slightly to step on the first stair. Siwon and Donghae chuckled and smiled at the older two’s bantering as they descended the stairs.

            “How would you know? Have you tried it?” Heechul said, going down the steps two at a time. Leeteuk looked exasperated by the other – he probably was – but there was fondness in the eldest’s interaction with the cat-like male.

            “No, but you wouldn’t need to try it if you knew that people have done it and gotten seriously injured,” Leeteuk reasoned. Heechul still acted unconvinced.

            “I’m not like other people. I’m special,” Heechul said boldly, earning a sudden snort from Donghae. Heechul pursed his lips and slanted his body slightly to glare at the youngest.

            “Fine. Be like that. I’m never treating you,” Heechul muttered childishly. Donghae looked stricken and started pleading with the older, apologizing.

            Leeteuk and Siwon exchanged exhausted, smiling expressions behind the two.

* * *

 

            Heechul walked into the cafeteria with a skip in his step, eager to eat.

            The room looked like any other cafeteria; plain cream walls and a generic tile floor. There were vents littered throughout the ceiling, blowing cold air downwards onto the numerous tables and chairs dispersed throughout the room. Students were seated at various tables, eating and chatting among their friends. The table of food – surprisingly unmanned – was a clean and pristine white. The long table was stretched all the way across the back wall, full of food, making small exclamations escape from Heechul, Donghae, and Leeteuk due to the sheer number of food laid out. Siwon seemed unfazed by the extensive amount of food laid out in the far table and was instead interested in a booth off to one corner. There were freezers in the booth, and some sort of machines mixed among the items in the stall.

            Heechul advanced towards the long table immediately with Donghae tagging along behind him. Leeteuk seated himself down in an empty table, whipping out his phone. Siwon then went to inspect the booth in the corner.

            Heechul looked around for some sort of cashier once he reached the table of food, but he couldn’t find one. With a confused expression, he approached the stack of trays and took two along with two pairs of chopsticks and two plastic cups. A small slip of paper – which was tucked underneath the trays – protruded from underneath the metal plates. He placed his two trays into one hand and took the paper out to read the writings on it.

            “Students, teachers, and staff are not required to pay. While appreciated, it is not necessary. Feel free to get as much food as you desire. Leave your finished dishes in the sink to your left.” Heechul read aloud, making sure that Donghae heard. Donghae let out a celebratory sound at the announcement and excitedly took a tray from the stack. Heechul glanced at his left and spotted the aforementioned sink before putting the paper back down.

            Donghae was eagerly scanning the foods present at the table and energetically pointed some out. Heechul found it quite endearing, really.

                "Hyung, look! They've got food like japchae all the way to steaks," Donghae said, ladling the food he had mentioned onto his tray happily. Heechul didn't look at the former, but hummed to show that he was listening.

                Heechul laid the two trays onto the counter and started sliding them along the surface. He scooped out rice onto both of his trays then placed a hefty amount of salad onto one of the dishes. He also placed some slices of pork on both and doused them in sauce. He then proceeded to scoop out some kimchi and lay it on both mounds of rice, now humming a song. As he attempted belting out a note, he grabbed a nearby pair of bowls and filled them with ramen before he finally neared the end of the table and picked out a few slices of fruit. He then filled his glasses with water and even dropped a slice of lemon in each to finish – both the food preparation, and his song.

                He turned towards the table Leeteuk had sat in, holding the two trays in both of his hands. Donghae reached the redhead’s side seconds later, holding a tray with an assortment of foods and looking particularly cheerful. Heechul noticed Siwon come out of a booth in the corner before the tall male proceeded to the table of food.

                As Heechul and Donghae neared the table Leeteuk reserved, the eldest pocketed his phone.

                “Thanks,” Leeteuk said gratefully as Heechul laid out one of the trays in front of the brunet.

                “No problem,” Heechul said, sitting next to the older boy.

                “I thought you got both of those for yourself, hyung,” Donghae said as he sat down across Heechul. Heechul gave the mahogany-haired boy an offended look.

                “Do I look like I would?” Heechul cried out in response. Donghae just smiled innocently.

                The three waited in silence for Siwon, and Heechul took out his phone in the meantime. A few minutes later, Siwon sat down beside Donghae, and Leeteuk finally picked up his chopsticks. Heechul pocketed his phone quickly and then grabbed his own chopsticks.

                “We’ll eat well,” the four chorused.

* * *

 

                Heechul contentedly laid down his chopsticks as he finished his food. Leeteuk, Donghae, and Siwon were also finishing their trays as Heechul grabbed his pill bottle from his pocket and gulped a pill down with his water. He let out a refreshed sound afterwards, relaxing into his seat and looked inattentively at the other enrollees in the cafeteria.

                “I want chocolate,” Heechul suddenly said, leaning onto Leeteuk.

                “Actually, there are sweets and desserts in the booth in the corner,” Siwon informed. Heechul shot upright at the other’s words.

                “What? Where?” Heechul said in disbelief, looking around. He whipped his head around erratically then let a happy sound escape his lips once he laid his eyes on the booth Siwon had exited from.

                “Okay, bye, I’m getting myself some chocolate,” Heechul announced as he stood up, making Leeteuk and Siwon smile as Donghae laughed.

* * *

 

                Heechul quickly entered the booth and marveled at the small space’s extensive amount of sweets. He looked around and saw a sundae machine along with a waffle iron. There were also freezers full of various flavors of ice cream and popsicles. However, he was only looking for white chocolate.

                He scanned through the small booth and couldn’t find any chocolate on the counters, so he decided to check the rest of the freezers. With a cry of triumph, he pulled out a bar of white chocolate from the freezer directly beside the opening of the booth. He looked around for any type of notice and found none, so he sauntered back out of the booth and to the table with a bar of chocolate.

                “Want some?” Heechul asked as he popped a piece of the white sweet into his mouth.

                Donghae nodded enthusiastically at Heechul’s offer, and Heechul broke off a piece of his chocolate to give the younger. Donghae graciously took the proffered piece and ate it with a smile.

                “Thank you,” Donghae said kindly. Heechul nodded in acknowledgement as he passed yet another piece of chocolate to Leeteuk and Siwon. The two gave their own thanks and Heechul once more nodded in reply.

                “What’re friends for, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Again, comments are much appreciated.  
> Also, I heard that Siwon's promoting with the boys again! I hope the seven of them will have fun~


	6. Chapter 6

                “Can we talk about our Mutations now, hyung?” Donghae asked as he plopped himself down on his right corner bed. Leeteuk was sat on his own bed while Siwon lied on his mattress. Heechul excused himself to go to the bathroom and change clothes.

                “As soon as Heechul finishes changing,” Leeteuk said, pulling out his phone while he waited for the redhead to leave the bathroom.

                After a few minutes of silence, Heechul came out of the bathroom with his face washed and his clothes changed. Instead of a grey sweatshirt and black ripped jeans, Heechul was now wearing a loose yellow hoodie and grey sweatpants. As he went to lie down on his now covered, red bed, he procured a pair of thick framed black glasses from his bedside table and placed them onto the bridge of his nose. He then turned his head to Leeteuk expectantly.

                “Alright, I suppose let’s do this from oldest to youngest?” Leeteuk proposed, setting down his phone. Murmurs of affirmation came from the three, with Donghae looking particularly eager.

                “Alright, well, I have Astral Projection,” Leeteuk began, garnering the interested gazes of the younger pair. Heechul seemed familiar with the other’s Mutation already, and was displaying only mild interest.

                “It basically means that I can eject my ‘astral’ form or ‘spiritual’ form out of my ‘physical’ one and suggest something to another person through speech. However, it works in such a way where the person believes it’s actually their own thoughts instead of someone else’s,” Leeteuk explained, and though Donghae and Siwon tried to disguise it, mistrust suddenly flashed across their faces.

                “He can’t do it unless he wants to literally pass out. Because he’s ejecting his astral form, he’s leaving his physical form unprotected and unresponsive. So no, he hasn’t suggested anything to you because he obviously hasn’t passed out yet. And Leeteuk’s trustworthy. He never uses it for the wrong purposes,” Heechul said, his bespectacled eyes sharp and his voice heated with protectiveness over the older. Siwon and Donghae’s expressions morphed into apologetic ones.

                “Hyung, we didn’t mean that we didn’t trust you,” Siwon said, frowning remorsefully. Leeteuk only smiled kindly.

                “I know you didn’t mean anything by it. And it’s understandable to have that response. After all, we know there are people who use their Mutations for the wrong things,” Leeteuk said. Siwon and Donghae were still immensely bothered despite Leeteuk’s reassurance, their lips tugged downwards into frowns. Their eyes were flitting to Heechul and then to the wall, relieved that the eldest brunet had forgiven them, but ashamed that they had attracted the anger of the redhead.

                “I’ll… I’ll go next,” Siwon said uneasily, stuttering through his words.

                Heechul sighed deeply after Siwon’s declaration, making the unease even more evident on Siwon’s and Donghae’s faces.

                “I’m not angry,” Heechul said simply as he exhaled. Shock was the initial response of the younger pair, and the secondary response was a mix of gratitude and disbelief.

                “We’re really sorry, hyung,” Donghae said, visibly bothered by the previous drama. Heechul waved his hands dismissively.

                “It’s fine. Go on, Siwon,” Heechul urged, and there was a small smile on Siwon’s lips. Donghae was still put out, though, prompting Heechul to shuffle over to the mahogany-haired boy and pet the younger’s head roughly.

                “It’s fine. If Leeteuk says it is, then it is,” Heechul repeated, this time with a small grin. Only then did Donghae ease his tensed shoulders. Heechul returned to his own bed.

                “Well… My Mutation is Super Strength,” Siwon started, voice now light. “And it basically means that I have attributes similar to that of an ant,” Siwon said. Heechul stared at him incredulously through black framed glasses.

                “Well I’m sure that you’re _lying_ because ants are supposed to be _tiny_ ,” Heechul said in a dubious manner. Any remnants of the tense atmosphere disappeared as Siwon’s booming laughter filled the air. Donghae and Leeteuk followed soon in the infectious laughter while Heechul smiled – a blend of a knowing smirk and a kind grin.

                “Not in that way, hyung,” Siwon said, his words coming out as a series of chuckles. “It’s the strength portion,” Siwon clarified, though Heechul appeared to already know that.

                “It shows that, like ants, I can carry up to fifty times my body weight. And I can do it for extended periods of time as well; although I will admit that I still have difficulty with controlling the amount of force I use,” Siwon concluded.

                “That seems really handy,” Donghae stated, and Siwon nodded.

                “Mine doesn’t seem all that helpful,” Donghae segued. Leeteuk raised one of his eyebrows.

                “How so?” Leeteuk asked.

                “Since I camouflage, I sort of just blend and can’t do much more. And I can control it somewhat, though I still have problems with how long it goes on for. Most of the time, though, I camouflage because I’m surprised,” Donghae enlightened. Leeteuk pulled a pensive expression before opening his mouth to speak again.

                “But it can be really helpful, can’t it?” Leeteuk began. Donghae in particular was looking at him questionably.

                “In times of panic, it would definitely help you in being safer. And as long as you can start training and sustain it for longer times at will, it would make a good ambush technique,” Leeteuk advised. Donghae’s expression shifted from confusion, then to understanding, then to thoughtfulness.

                “That does seem useful,” Donghae murmured. Leeteuk smiled brightly in return.

                “What about you, Heechul hyung?” Siwon inquired. The focus of the conversation veered to Heechul.

                The redhead looked around them and raised eyes of feigned innocence. Leeteuk chuckled but chucked a random stray piece of lint at the younger. Heechul shrieked and backed away from the offending dust, then glared at Leeteuk.

                “Fine,” Heechul pouted.

                “Wildfire allows me to manipulate and conjure fire. I can tamper with either pre-existing or my own fire,” Heechul stated, and excitement lit up in the features of Donghae and Siwon.

                “But I can’t really control it. Almost not at all,” Heechul confessed, and the excitement morphed into confusion.

                “It’s almost completely out of my control. Like actual wild fires, I can’t manipulate my Mutation or control it very well. If I somehow do, it’s only for seconds at a time. It just tends to suddenly decide to activate as long as I’m excitable. If I’m exposed to pre-made fires, the fire will mostly react to how I feel without me even knowing. Anger and happiness make it grow and fester, while sadness makes it disappear or extinguish,” Heechul ended, and there was an inkling of sorrow in his words.

                “But have you been able to control it at least once? What was it like? It must have been so awesome,” Donghae babbled eagerly. Heechul knit his brows together but answered.

                “Yeah, I’ve controlled it three times in total. It was really quick, though, so I almost didn’t think it was by will,” Heechul answered. Donghae’s eyes were twinkling with astonishment, and his lips parted to ask Heechul yet another question, but Leeteuk’s voice cut through the air first.

                “How did you find out that you had Super Strength?” Leeteuk inquired, both his question and his body turned towards Siwon. Siwon expressed small surprise at the attention but answered quickly.

                “Oh, I broke the car door when I was leaving for school,” Siwon said honestly, his lips in a small smile at the memory. Embarrassment was written all over his face. Heechul laughed heartily at the declaration, and the others were quick to follow his lead. The sounds of hysterics died down not soon after, and Leeteuk resumed his questions.

                “What about you, Donghae?” Leeteuk then asked, smiling slightly. The youngest rushed to reply.

                “I was at home, and my parents were looking for me. I had zoned out on the computer and camouflaged. They only ‘found’ me because I started typing really loudly,” Donghae narrated. He was smiling widely, his face lit up.

                “What about you, hyung?” Siwon now queried, his words directed to Leeteuk. Leeteuk sheepishly rubbed his neck once the younger asked.

                “Oh… well. Actually, it was because I wanted to get out of doing my homework as a child. Apparently that triggered my Mutation and before I knew it I wasn’t it my body anymore,” Leeteuk said. Heechul snickered.

                “And you’re supposed to be our role model,” Heechul muttered playfully. Leeteuk glared playfully and shook his head but then looked at Heechul with a waiting expression. Heechul shrugged but complied, parting his lips.

                “I set myself on fire.”


	7. Chapter 7

            “What?!” Siwon interjected, his voice ricocheting off the walls. Heechul seemed panicked by the other’s alarm. Donghae was blinking in quick successions, his pupils shaking.

            “Don’t say it like that!” Leeteuk reprimanded, trying desperately to salvage the situation.

            “But that’s what happened!” Heechul said defensively. He didn’t notice his palms suddenly light with fire.

            “Hyung, what?!” Siwon shrieked once more from his bed. Heechul groaned loudly, the sound strained and frustrated.

            “Alright, alright! I _accidentally_ conjured fire from my hands and shoulders,” Heechul said, his voice raising.

            “That doesn’t make it better!” Siwon cried. Heechul rolled his eyes at the ceiling as an attempt to try and conceal his agitation.

            “But that’s _literally_ what happened,” Heechul grumbled, eyelids now shut closed and still unaware of the presence of the embers on his hands.

            The room was turning hotter by the second.

            Heechul, Leeteuk, and Siwon were still fussing over the fact that Heechul had been ablaze at his Onslaught; not aware to the fact that Heechul's hand was currently alight with fire. The embers around Heechul’s palm grew as the situation became more chaotic, and Donghae was the first to notice in the havoc.

            “Hyung! Your hands!” Donghae exclaimed, pointing at Heechul’s fiery fingers.

            Heechul’s eyes snapped downwards to his hands and he yelped. Siwon screamed while Leeteuk scrambled to get to Heechul. Donghae was still pointing, his fingers trembling.

            Frenzied onyx eyes turned calmly aggravated and quaking lips suddenly pursed into a thin line. The temperature in the room dropped instantaneously as Heechul calmed. Everything else was sent into confusion, with Siwon ceasing his shrieks, and Donghae’s fingers stilling.

            Leeteuk was by the redhead’s side as soon as the fires disappeared. Siwon’s terrified eyes became concerned, and he shuffled off of his bed to walk to Heechul’s mattress. Donghae quickly mirrored the black-haired boy’s actions and crowded Heechul’s bed.

            Heechul was abnormally calm.

            “Hyung? I’m sorry for shouting. I didn’t mean to make you panic,” Siwon said, his eyebrows furrowed together. Heechul didn’t reply, merely exhaling sharp puffs of air and breathing in deeply.

            “Chul-ah,” Leeteuk called softly. “You’re good now,” the eldest encouraged, reaching out with sure but cautious fingers.    

            Without warning, Heechul rolled over on his side, turning away from them all and throwing the bed covers over his red hair. Donghae and Siwon jumped up in their startled states, and then walked over to the older male’s bed to try and coax Heechul out of the sheets once they got over their surprise. Leeteuk sighed in a mixture of resignation and relief, but gently stood and tugged Donghae and Siwon off to Siwon’s bed. He settled down beside the tall male’s bed, and both Siwon and Donghae looked at him with expressions that were pooled with concern and bemusement.

            Leeteuk sighed once more. “Heechul has to calm down to get rid of the fire, and that usually means breathing exercises. It drains him mentally, and he doesn’t like needing to ‘shut down’ in front of people,” Leeteuk explained in stand of Heechul. Siwon had a feeling that Heechul would never have admitted to that by himself.

            But the silence that followed wouldn't have been permitted by the redhead either. The three sit in a rather uncomfortable atmosphere, Siwon twiddling his fingers.

            “... Hyung doesn’t need to feel bad about that,” Donghae muttered after a few moments, earning the turning heads of Leeteuk and Siwon.

            “Siwon and I definitely understand,” Donghae added. Leeteuk smiled softly while Siwon nodded in agreement.

            And apparently, Heechul had been listening to every word of their conversation, as he suddenly mumbled out something incoherent that involved the word ‘Leeteuk’.

            “Thanks,” Heechul grumbled out soon after, his voice muffled through the layers of bedcovers. Donghae couldn’t help but beam slightly, and Siwon grinned as well. The two were positively enthused at Heechul’s gratefulness.

            Though, for the rest of the afternoon, the redhead was mildly irritable.

* * *

             “Oh, and have you heard of this song called “Thorn” by Buzz? The _head_ voice in there is _really_ pronounced,” Heechul said with a chuckle, his hands flailing about on top of his head as he followed his statement with a purely comedic imitation of the aforementioned song.

            If there was one thing that Siwon and Donghae guessed that they’d never understand about the redhead, it would be the abrupt mood swings. Heechul had become jovial once they planned to go off to dinner, making Siwon and Donghae thoroughly confused and amused. Leeteuk could only chuckle.

            Heechul was floundering around, still, as they descended the stairs. He had started singing a more mellow song that he said was titled “Coward” by the same band; though he still made ridiculous imitations, such as ducking his entire head under his fist and singing aloofly.

            They once more entered the cafeteria, and this time around the tables were even more occupied with students. Leeteuk guessed it was because everyone had already settled in and fixed their things. And those who packed lunch would have already eaten the pre-made food earlier.

            The four went off to the food table before searching for a table to occupy. Heechul loaded his tray with an assortment of meats and some kimchi and rice. He also grabbed a cup of tea along the way as Leeteuk scooped salads onto his tray and a few slices of pork belly. Siwon and Donghae both procured some beef and rice, along with some soup and salad. The latter three boys only got a cup of water before embarking on their quest to find a semi-occupied table.

            Leeteuk was the first to spot one; a table off to the right of the entrance housing only four other people. He walked towards the mentioned table with his three other roommates trailing behind him. Once he reached the table, he made a small sound akin to clearing his throat. The four seated boys looked up.

            “Would you mind if we sat here?” Leeteuk asked in a friendly manner, smiling courteously as he gestured behind him to Heechul, Donghae, and Siwon. One of the males at the table shook his head, motioning to the seats across theirs.

            Heechul was the last to sit down, sitting down to the extreme left next to Siwon. He took a few moments to observe the students across him.

            The one directly in front of him – the one who had allowed them to sit down – had fluffy white blond hair combed down to his forehead. While he couldn’t see it that clearly, the boy seemed to have had sharp, deep brown eyes. Along with that, he was quite fair skinned, though he was still a tad bit tan – something like tan opal. His lips were thin but a vibrant pink, and he was wearing a plain, loose white tank top and black skinny jeans. His face was sharp and angular, along with being thin. He looked like overall skin and bone in Heechul’s opinion.

            The boy to the blond’s left also seemed quite thin, what with his high – somewhat hollow – cheekbones. The boy’s ink black hair settled comfortably onto his face, going only a sliver beyond his pretty ebony eyes. His skin was somewhat more bronze than the previous male, though he wasn’t dark skinned. He had full strawberry pink lips with his upper lip thinner than his bottom one. His choice of clothes was casual; just a navy blue sweater and some washed out jeans. Heechul also noted that he was short.

            The next boy had his head bent downwards, focusing on his food. The top of his head was crowned with chocolate brown hair. His fair skin was peeking out from under the sleeves of a black sweatshirt and white shorts. The boy chanced a look up, and Heechul saw the boy’s wide dark oak eyes, full pouty pink lips, and round face. The boy ducked his head back down, and Heechul stopped looking at the presumably shy boy.

            The boy to Heechul’s extreme right exuded a certain youngness to him, what with his round face and general child-like looks. Pale skin, dotted with marks of acne, was draped over by a simple camouflage print shirt and blue jeans. The boy had mocha colored hair which was tousled downwards onto his forehead. He also had doe eyes a deep shade of hickory.

            Leeteuk set down his chopsticks momentarily and looked towards the boys across him. He smiled at first before proceeding to speak.

            “Hi there. I should introduce myself.

            “My name is Park Jungsoo, but you can just call me Leeteuk; and you probably know that I’m Head Boy. I’m eighteen years old.”


	8. Chapter 8

            “My name is Park Jungsoo, but you can just call me Leeteuk. You probably know that I’m Head Boy, and, well, I’m eighteen years old,” Leeteuk introduced kindly. The four boys across him looked up and swallowed down the food in their mouth before nodding.

            The white blond was the first to make a move. “I’m Lee Hyukjae, but you can call me Eunhyuk. I’m sixteen years old,” Eunhyuk introduced with a nasally breath. Siwon and Donghae looked delighted to have a same-aged friend. Donghae also seemed to look delighted. As for what reason; nobody was really sure.

            “And I’m Kim Ryeowook. People just call me Wook or Wookie most of the time,” Ryeowook began. His voice was high but clear. “I’m fifteen years old,” Ryeowook ended, and once more Donghae and Siwon lit up, this time for being a hyung. Leeteuk smiled brightly at the youngest boy’s nickname.

            “Um, I’m Lee Sungmin. People usually just call me Sungmin or Minnie. I’m sixteen as well,” the shy boy said, his voice sounding a bit meek and high. Heechul decided to break the ice with the introverted male in the most casual way he knew.

            “You look cute. Like a pumpkin,” Heechul commented. Sungmin looked at him bemusedly, but chuckled either way. The remaining boy shifted in his seat.

            “Uh, name is Cho Kyuhyun. But people just call me Kyuhyun. I’m fifteen years old. The four of us are roommates,” Kyuhyun informed with a melodic voice. Leeteuk made a pleasantly surprised sound.

            “The four of us are roommates as well,” Siwon said good-naturedly. Eunhyuk expressed amusement at that.

            “My name is Choi Siwon. Most people just address me as Siwon. I’m sixteen years old, as well,” Siwon declared. Sungmin and Eunhyuk nodded.

            “And I’m Lee Donghae. You can call me Donghae or Hae, and I’m also sixteen,” Donghae said brightly, though his expression was somewhat shy. Heechul looked at the mahogany-haired boy's gaze and grinned to himself.

            “I’m Kim Heechul. Most people call me Heechul, though I’ve had some weird nicknames. I’m eighteen as well, but I’m younger than Leeteuk,” Heechul said. Again, Eunhyuk nodded attentively.

            “Well, I suppose we should eat?” Leeteuk suggested as he picked up his chopsticks. A chorus of agreements sounded from the seven other boys and the clinking of metal against metal rang as they ate.

* * *

            Donghae had begun conversing with Eunhyuk out of interest.

            “What are some of your hobbies?” Donghae inquired as he munched on a leaf of lettuce. Eunhyuk slurped down his noodles before answering.

            “I like dancing,” Eunhyuk said as he chewed his noodles with pouty lips. Donghae lit up.

            “Me, too!” Donghae said excitedly.

            Eunhyuk grinned enthusiastically at Donghae.

            “My Mutation actually helps with my dancing. My Self-Manipulation makes me able to strengthen or weaken my bones, and if I weaken them just a small bit, I become really flexible,” Eunhyuk explained, his face split into a smile.

            “Whoa. My Mutation doesn’t really contribute to dancing. Camouflage isn’t really that helpful for motion-based things that people need to see,” Donghae said, somewhat mumbling his words. But Eunhyuk seemed particularly piqued by the statement.

            “But Camouflage seems so cool. Imagine appearing out of nowhere!” Eunhyuk said with a childlike innocence. Donghae smiled again, bashful now as his cheeks were dusted in pink.

            The two started conversing animatedly as the rest ate in silence. Sometimes the other six took to reacting to the conversation occurring beside them for socialization. Heechul was finishing up his pork slices when Sungmin looked up at him.

            “What’s yours, hyung?” Sungmin asked timidly. Heechul looked at the younger and raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

            “What do you mean?” Heechul muttered.

            “Oh, your Mutation, I meant,” Sungmin clarified.

            Heechul shrugged his shoulders.

            “You go first,” Heechul prompted.

            “Oh, well. It sounds silly, and it _is_ also a bit silly. But it’s called Bloom, and I can conjure flowers,” Sungmin said. Heechul donned an impressed expression.

            “That doesn’t seem silly at all,” Heechul said, earning an encouraged smile from Sungmin. “A lot of people are actually scared of what some flowers can do. Conjure up a Rafflesia and nobody would even dare to get close to you in combat,” Heechul added, and Sungmin chuckled loudly. Heechul smiled a small bit.

            “Who says that we all go upstairs later and talk about our Mutations?” Leeteuk suggested. Agreements met his proposal.

            “Our room is at 408,” Eunhyuk informed. Leeteuk nodded in response.

            “Ours is at 407. We’re roommates then,” Donghae then stated.

            “Should we meet up at our room later, then?” Ryeowook asked, placing his chopsticks down onto his empty tray. Leeteuk looked at Siwon, Donghae, and Heechul. The three merely shrugged as they resumed eating, so Leeteuk turned back to Ryeowook.

            “If it’s alright,” Leeteuk said. Ryeowook smiled and nodded.

            “Let’s finish eating, then,” Leeteuk said.

* * *

             Kyuhyun was about three quarters through his plate of ddeokbokki, and Siwon was about halfway through his salad like Leeteuk. Donghae still had yet to finish his bowl of soup, and Sungmin had three slices of beef left of his plate.

            “So what’re some of your hobbies?” Leeteuk asked casually, his eyes focused on Sungmin. The boy seemed less timid now.

            “Um, right now I’m practicing martial arts,” Sungmin answered. Leeteuk expressed minute awe.

            “That’s cool. Why?” was Leeteuk’s next question. Sungmin pursed his lips before answering.

            “I can’t control my Mutation well, so I tried out some other form of self defense,” the boy said, scratching his neck slightly.

            Leeteuk hummed in understanding.

            “I can’t control my Mutation well but I absolutely hate physical exertion,” Heechul mumbled. Leeteuk looked at him knowingly.

            “Yeah, that said, you pack a strong punch,” Leeteuk said. Heechul snorted.

            “I’d stand no chance against Siwon,” Heechul said. “Or any of you, actually,” Heechul added. This caused a series of chuckles among the table.

            “I almost don’t want to know why Leeteuk hyung knows that. _Almost_ ,” Eunhyuk murmured. Heechul looked at him and smirked.

            “He tried touching my hair,” Heechul said, and there was a smug air to his voice.

            “And he’s proud that he managed to punch me because I actually work out,” Leeteuk huffed. Surprised exclamations were let out both for Heechul’s and Leeteuk’s confessions.

            “I’m never going to touch Heechul hyung’s hair,” Eunhyuk promised. Heechul harked out a small laugh.

            “What are your other hobbies, Leeteuk hyung?” Ryeowook inquired. Leeteuk thought about it for a while.

            “I like surfing the web, I guess,” Leeteuk replied. The males at the table nodded politely.

            “Boring, moving on,” Heechul muttered loudly, his voice surprisingly serious. Siwon and Ryeowook looked at Heechul, their brows drawn together.

            Leeteuk didn’t seem at all fazed, though. That must have meant that the two were close.

            “What about you, Ryeowook?” Heechul then asked. Ryeowook let out a confused sound.

            “Huh?” Ryeowook hummed.

            “Hobbies?” Heechul clarified.

            “Oh,” Ryeowook breathed out. “I really like singing and cooking,” he informed.

            “Watch out for Heechul. He’ll start asking you to cook him everything,” Leeteuk warned. When Ryeowook looked at the aforementioned boy, Heechul was excitedly jittering in his seat. Ryeowook only lit up, though.

            “I’d love to!” Ryeowook said enthusiastically. Heechul answered back with a bright grin.

            “I might just let you touch my hair,” Heechul said. Leeteuk made a slightly surprised, slightly exasperated expression.

            “That’s just about as good as travelling to the moon,” Leeteuk said later.

            Ryeowook supposed that he’d take that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> meep morp  
> comments are love (uwu)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So I might come back to edit this chapter. Just a heads up!

            Heechul entered 408 and did a quick one-over of the room. It was identical to 407, though this one had an assortment of dirt and grime on the floors and walls. Eunhyuk walked over to the front right bed and then sat down on the blue covers. Donghae followed soon after and sat down beside the blond. The two had hit it off completely, and among the two groups, they were undeniably the closest, currently.

            Ryeowook took the corner bed behind Eunhyuk’s, and Heechul cooed slightly when he saw a giraffe plush on top of Ryeowook’s yellow-cased pillow. There were also some other items such as a laptop and a giraffe covered notebook on top of the yellow duvet.

            Sungmin went over to the other corner bed – what would be Heechul’s in 407 – and sat down comfortably on his green sheets. There wasn’t much on the boy’s bed, but Heechul saw a pink object wedged between Sungmin and the covers. He’d remember to ask about that later.

            Kyuhyun laid down on the remaining left hand bed, and on top of his red sheets, there was a cacophony of items ranging from stray articles of clothing and gadgets. There was also a bag of chips here and there.

            Leeteuk, Heechul, and Siwon just sat down on the floor near the cabinets, huddled close to each other – with Leeteuk and Heechul sitting particularly close.

            “Should we showcase our Mutations?” Eunhyuk proposed. Heechul was rather disapproving of that idea, but the others seemed rather pleased with the prospect of it.

            “Should we go from age order?” Ryeowook asked.

            “Sure,” Leeteuk said, moving to stand up.

            Seven heads turned to watch the eldest attentively. Leeteuk moved away from Heechul a small bit, but the redhead moved closer.

            Leeteuk took a deep breath in, eliciting even more attentive stares from the younger students in the room. Leeteuk closed his eyes, and then with a sudden exhale, he collapsed. Heechul bolted upright to catch the older, one of his knees on the floor while the other one supported the brunet’s back. Shocked exclaims erupted from within the room, but Heechul only focused on keeping the older comfortable, laying Leeteuk down on the floor.

            Siwon and Donghae had been aware of this part, but they still weren’t prepared for what the occurrence would be like. Leeteuk had sagged into a ragdoll-like state, with Heechul hovering the elder’s body.

            “This is Leeteuk’s Mutation,” Heechul said, though ‘this’ was very vague for the newer four boys.

            Suddenly, Eunhyuk stuttered for a moment before cartwheeling out of nowhere. If you looked closely, you could see his eyes glazing over for just a fraction of a second. Heechul looked at Eunhyuk – who had stuck a perfect landing – but focused more on the air around the boy. He raised a disproving eyebrow. Eunhyuk didn’t seem fazed by his off-topic action, though, merely going back to worrying about Leeteuk, whereas the three other males – Ryeowook, Sungmin, and Kyuhyun – were immensely bemused.

            A moment later, Leeteuk opened his eyes and breathed in a hefty amount of air. Ryeowook immediately started asking for injuries or illnesses.

            “Hyung? Why did you pass out? Are you alright?” Ryeowook queried, his eyebrows drawn together in worry. Sungmin also seemed concerned.

            “No, no, I’m alright. It’s just something that happens when I use my Mutation,” Leeteuk said. Even more concern blossomed on the faces of the other boys.

            “If that’s the case you didn’t need to show us your Mutation, hyung. We don’t want you to pass out,” Sungmin said, frowning slightly.

            “No, I mean, like, it’s what happens so that I can use my Mutation. I’ve got Astral Projection, so I need to remove my spiritual body from my physical body,” Leeteuk said. “And then I can suggest something to one person, and they have a tendency to do it,” the brunet ended. Again, there was a fleeting moment where mistrust was there, but Leeteuk added, “I hope you trust me enough to know that I’d never use it on you unless necessary.”

            That garnered the nods of the boys, and, thankfully, their eyes were curious and not doubtful. The curious sets of eyes turned to Heechul.

            “I’m supposed to go next but I have no idea if I can actually showcase mine,” Heechul confessed. “Quick, Leeteuk, piss me off,” Heechul ordered comically. The seven boys laughed, but Leeteuk knew that there was a seriousness in Heechul’s words.

            “Your face looks like a rock someone stepped on with muddy shoes,” Leeteuk tried. The six boys seemed slightly confused or alarmed by the insult, but Heechul just looked at him with a deadpan expression.

            “It doesn’t and you know it. Yours, however, looks like a fishing hook on a pan,” Heechul muttered. Leeteuk chuckled.

            “Sorry, I can’t think of how to aggravate you,” Leeteuk said. Heechul shrugged.

            “Eh, I’ll try later,” Heechul said. “You go next, Sungmin,” Heechul prompted. Sungmin nodded his head as acknowledgement to the elder’s words. The seven other males gave him encouraging looks.

            The chocolate-haired boy breathed in deeply then put his hands out in front of him, facing them upwards. As he exhaled, flowers bloomed from the palms of his hands. Some of them seemed mismatched, though. Heechul was fairly sure that roses didn’t have yellow leaves. The petals fell from Sungmin's hands and decorated the floor.

            Sungmin let out a slightly disappointed sound. “I mixed the flowers up again,” Sungmin lamented.

            Siwon clapped him on the back, though. “Your Mutation is amazing,” Siwon said sincerely. Sungmin beamed at the younger.

            “Ah, I’ll go next,” Eunhyuk said. The blond stood up from his bed and then went off to one side. Eunhyuk breathed deeply for a few moments before bending backwards at an absurd angle. Both awestruck exclamations and surprised shrieks met the sudden movement.

            But Eunhyuk was still going.

            The blond suddenly bent backwards enough so that his hands were flat on the floor. Then, when the others couldn’t think of the absurdity of it to increase, Eunhyuk coiled himself around his legs. Now the shrieks were disbelieving and concerned. Eunhyuk didn’t seem to be in pain, though. And then, when he finally sank down to the floor, he grinned at them proudly. He eased his arms and legs and they laid down flat on the floor – leaving Eunhyuk spread out over the ground. Donghae and Ryeowook rushed over to help him up, which Eunhyuk thanked them for.

            Once the two had let go of him, though, he wavered slightly, causing him to collapse into Donghae. The mahogany-haired boy clutched Eunhyuk closer reflexively. Eunhyuk let out a meek sort of chuckle.

            “Oh… yeah… I, uh, still have a bit of a problem with strengthening my bones back. It’s why I’ve packed a lot of milk and stuff. For calcium,” Eunhyuk admitted, his cheeks dusted a faint pink as he met the half scrutinizing, half worried expressions pointed towards him.

            “You and Leeteuk need to stop flaunting your Mutations around everywhere if that’s the case,” Heechul reprimanded. Eunhyuk and Leeteuk both chuckled at that.

            “Anyway, it’s your turn Donghae,” Heechul said, moving the introductions along. The boy in question nodded before starting to stare off into space. Ryeowook was once more getting apprehensive and worked up. Were all of the people he knew self-destructive or something?

            Donghae then started phasing in and out of existence, making Eunhyuk yelp when the dark-haired boy he was leaning on disappeared and reappeared. Astonishment rang out through the room as Donghae fully materialized back and his eyes found Eunhyuk’s. He grinned. Eunhyuk grinned back.

            “Cool,” Kyuhyun breathed out. Donghae lit up with pride.

            “I suppose that I should go next?” Siwon said. Leeteuk gave an encouraging nod.

            Siwon looked around the room and stopped on the beds. He stood up near the one Kyuhyun was seated on and then grabbed one of its legs. Kyuhyun looked at the chaebol curiously.

            “Please hold on to a pole,” Siwon requested. Kyuhyun still seemed confounded but did so.

            Then, with a huff, Siwon lifted the bed off from the ground. Kyuhyun yelped, grabbing the pole in his hands desperately.

            “Let me down!” Kyuhyun cried out - a testament to his age among the males in the room. Siwon rushed to put the bed down, concern written all over his features.

            “I’m sorry, I should have alerted you of what I was going to do,” Siwon apologized. Kyuhyun pouted.

            “It’s alright. I was just shocked,” Kyuhyun muttered.

            “My turn, then,” Ryeowook said as he let out a relieved sigh.

            The black-haired boy closed his eyes and turned his hands towards them. Then, as he let out a deep exhale, a translucent bubble seemed to form around him. Donghae, who was the closest to the younger, poked at the bubble and let out a surprised hum as his hand stopped around the semi-solid shape. He pushed against it, but it didn’t budge.

            Ryeowook peered his eyes open, inhaled deeply before exhaling once more, and then made the bubble disappear. Donghae’s hand surged forward, and yet another excited series of murmurs were heard.

            “That was so cool,” Eunhyuk murmured in awe.

            “How does that work? Like, nothing can go in?” Kyuhyun then queried. Ryeowook nodded and smiled at the youngest.

            “Nothing can come in or go out of my force field,” Ryeowook clarified. “Oh, and it’s called Force Field,” Ryeowook added.

            “Wouldn’t have thought,” Heechul said with a sarcastic tone. Ryeowook jutted his lip out and attempted sulking.

            “I guess I’ll go next,” Kyuhyun said.

            The boy stood up from his bed and then stared at the middle of the room. The other boys in the room were watching with rapt attention.

            Kyuhyun’s eyes seemed to fog over just as a tiger appeared in the room. Ryeowook, Leeteuk, and Eunhyuk shrieked as Heechul, Donghae, Siwon, and Sungmin yelped and scooted away from the feline.

            But then the tiger changed into a pencil with legs, and a series of ‘what’s were heard. The pencil vanished, and Kyuyhun’s eyes snapped back into focus.

            “I create illusions,” Kyuhyun said quickly, before anyone could ask.

            A relieved huff came from Heechul, Leeteuk, and Ryeowook.

            “For a second there I thought I’d lose my face,” Heechul muttered. The males chuckled.

            “What’s it called?” Ryeowook inquired, tilting his head to the side cutely.

            “Deception,” Kyuhyun answered. Heechul narrowed his eyes at the youngest.

            “Alright, doesn’t that basically say you’re cunning?” Heechul said. Kyuhyun smiled a small bit.

            “I do believe so,” Kyuhyun said, a mischievous tone coloring his words. Heechul grinned toothily.

            “I like you,” Heechul said, still smiling.

            “Uh, hyung, can you still not show us your Mutation?” Sungmin asked after a beat of silence. Heechul glanced at the boy and pursed his lips.

            “Probably not. I’ll just tell you,” Heechul said. An excited nod came from the younger student.

            “My Mutation is called “Wildfire”,” Heechul began. Amazement once more appeared on the younger males’ faces. Heechul started to get used to it.

            “Yes, I’m an elemental. But I’ve got a lot of problems when it comes to actually controlling it,” Heechul ended. That didn’t dilute the eagerness that was flooding the room.

            “That’s so cool! It’s so rare to find an elemental; especially in such a technology-based country like Korea,” Ryeowook muttered in wonder.

            Heechul chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve heard.”

* * *

 

            “… I’m sleepy,” Kyuhyun murmured suddenly, rubbing his eyes. Leeteuk glanced at his watch and hummed tentatively.

            “We should sleep. We still have things to do tomorrow morning,” Leeteuk advised.

            “I agree,” Heechul yawned. This caused the rest to yawn as well.

            “Alright. Bye, hyung,” Donghae said, peeling himself away from Eunhyuk.

            “Bye,” Eunhyuk murmured sleepily.

            Leeteuk rose first and ventured out of the room. He was then followed by Siwon, Heechul, and Donghae.

            “Good night.”

            “Night, hyung.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are love~   
> uwu


	10. Chapter 10

            The following day, Heechul was the second to rise from his bed. His red hair was fluffed askew, pointing in different directions. His clothes were all rumpled up as well.

            He looked around and saw Leeteuk coming out from the bathroom in the corner. The eldest was wearing a loose black and white button-up shirt and simple black skinny jeans. His chestnut hair was combed down neatly. The brunet smiled kindly as he spotted Heechul’s rousing form.

            “Morning,” Heechul croaked out, grabbing his phone from his left side and checking the time. His screen flashed and he read the clock spelling out 5:43 AM. Leeteuk returned the younger’s greeting.

            Heechul slowly crawled out of bed, throwing the covers off of him. He walked over to his shared closet and threw the doors open. He grabbed a random shirt and a pair of ripped jeans along with other articles of clothing. He passed Leeteuk – who was stuffing his laundry into a duffel – and went into the bathroom just as he heard a bed creak.

* * *

             Heechul came out of the bathroom with his hair neatly swept away from his face. It frayed upwards in some places, but still seemed orderly. He was wearing a plain black sweatshirt and black ripped jeans, though his sweatshirt had a print on it reading ‘Go Away’. Donghae and Siwon were both up by the time he had come out of the bathroom.

            After Heechul had dumped his laundry into a basket, he checked the time once more and the numbers flashed 6:14 AM. He grabbed his glasses from his bedside drawer and then started scrolling through his phone as Donghae entered the bathroom. He texted his mother a quick early morning greeting before proceeding to open his twitter account. He scanned through the tweets in boredom before switching tabs and then playing.

            “Are you going to come downstairs to eat, Heechul?” Leeteuk asked. Heechul hummed his agreement as he focused on his game.

            “After Hae and Siwon finish up,” Heechul murmured, tapping his phone rigorously.

            “Alright,” Leeteuk conceded, flipping out his phone as well.

* * *

             Their breakfast was relatively uneventful as they ate by themselves in a random table, so the four all went to the meeting room in hopes of excitement.

            The room was already more than three quarters full, and the seats left were only singles, doubles, or triples at most. Heechul scans the room for adjacent seats, but Siwon beats him to it.

            “Hyung, there are some seats over there that are close by,” Siwon informed, gesturing to a small patch of empty chairs – they wouldn’t necessarily be seatmates, but they were close enough.

            The four traversed the distance then sat themselves down. Heechul sat down between two students he wasn’t familiar with, though Leeteuk was to his northwest. Siwon and Donghae were seatmates off to Heechul’s northeast, and were about a seat away from either Heechul or Leeteuk.

            The door to the meeting room opened and Eunhyuk and his roommates appeared. Heechul watched as Sungmin sat himself two seats to Leeteuk’s left. Ryeowook sat himself in front of Donghae as Eunhyuk sat beside Heechul’s left-hand seatmate, and Kyuhyun sat down to Ryeowook’s right two seats over. The conversations began to trickle in beside Heechul.

            Heechul glanced at his seatmates and scrutinized them. The one to his left had obsidian black hair tousled every which way. His features were sharp; even his graphite colored eyes and his pink stained lips. He seemed to dress sharply, too, as he was dressed in a rather admirable long sleeved, sheen-topped shirt and plain black skinny jeans.

            Heechul’s right-hand seatmate looked more as if his _words_ were sharp. Perhaps as cutting as Heechul, even. Though Heechul somewhat doubted that anybody could be ask thick-skinned as himself.

            What? He knew himself better than anyone else.

            But anyway, the male next to him had a white button-up which had purple collars and cuffs and then black jeans. He also had dyed lilac hair, swept upwards in thick and long tufts. His skin was slightly tan, somewhat like Leeteuk’s. His eyes were wide and a shade of warm brown, and his lips – thin – were pursed.

            The one behind him was rather plump. His hair was a dark brown and so were his eyes. His lips were vibrant and pink, and his skin was fair. He was wearing a simple plaid flannel shirt and some generic jeans.

            Heechul quickly bored himself out and grew impatient. He glanced at his phone and read the time; it was already 8:07 AM. He groaned out in frustration, but then his breaths were cut short as the door noisily opened and shut.

            A teacher came inside the room, donning a simple white dress shirt, black pants, and a black jacket lined with a beige padding. He rushed to the podium in the front of the meeting room, fumbling with his clothes a small bit before seemingly giving up. He faced forward to the students in the room and smiled – half genuine, half protocol.

            “My name is Shim Changmin. Or there’s also Max Changmin. But please just call me Changmin,” the teacher introduced. His voice was high but clean and sharp. Heechul was reminded of Ryeowook.

            Changmin also had the same sharp cheekbones and the relatively thin lips. But that was where the similarities stopped. Changmin had copper hair with bangs long enough to be combed down into his round, dark, golden eyes. His skin was a lightly tanned brown, and he was tall as well.

            “I’ll be your master of ceremony for today’s events. And, before anything, I’d like to inform everyone here that we have three late students. They’ve all come from China,” Changmin declared.

            There was a small silence before a murmur broke out through the crowd, the students all curious as to who these three students were and why they had been added in late to the pre-opening activities.

            But Heechul didn’t pay the murmuring much attention and instead focused on the three students that began to walk towards the platform at Changmin’s words. They must be the Chinese kids.

            Two of them were huddled close to each other, while the last one stood away slightly.

            The compressed pair was made up of one tall male and a shorter boy. The smaller figure had bright auburn hair swept upwards in an array of spikes. His pointed eyes were a dark cocoa hue, and his lips a pretty pink. His skin was fair and light, framing his thin body. His clothes were casual; a black and white shirt and black ripped jeans. His partner had cinnamon brown locks and round leather black irises. He had fair skin and the same charming lips as well. Heechul could guess that the boy was meticulous about his clothing, as the tall boy was covered modestly by a white dress shirt, black slacks ironed neatly, and shining black shoes.

            Heechul’s eyes flitted to the isolated boy and stayed there.

            The boy’s crown of void black hair was ducked down, falling onto the barely tanned skin of the male’s face in long strands. His wide, walnut tinged orbs were cautious in their skirting of the room. His lips, a beige tint, were pursed together and bit down upon by an upper set of teeth. His entire posture screamed discomfort and uncertainty; his thick black jacket and grey shirt curled up as he slouched and his washed out blue jeans were crinkled in too many places.

            Heechul tilted his head in interest, trying to decipher what the reason this man had to being irrevocably uncomfortable – Heechul knew anxiety was part of it, but that wasn’t the big picture.

            The triad reached the platform at last and bowed in disorganized unison. “Hello,” they all murmured, though it was obvious they weren’t trying to be impolite. None of them seemed sure of their pronunciation. Some of the seated students greeted back, encouraging the three newcomers slightly. The auburn-haired boy smiled slightly and relaxed as the echo of the students’ voices rang out.

            Changmin clapped his hands together, drawing the attention of all the students back to him.

            “Alright, well,” he began, turning to address the three Chinese boys. “I’d suggest that you sit nearby the Head Boy. I’ll expect he’s very nice,” Changmin said, gesturing to Leeteuk.

            The trio looked at Leeteuk, who waved unsurely with a smile. Three pairs of shoulders eased and three sets of limbs began working their way towards seats around Leeteuk. Heechul observed as the pair of boys stuck once more close to each other and sat down to the northeast of Leeteuk, while the remaining male seated himself next to Ryeowook. The black-haired dongsaeng smiled and greeted as the foreign student bowed respectfully.

            Changmin once more clapped his hands together, making Heechul jump.

            “To formally start our day’s activities, we’re going to start off with some icebreakers,” Changmin announced. A resounding groan erupted from the students and Heechul joined in. Changmin seemed sympathetic.

            “I don’t like them either, but it’s always been protocol.”

            “The icebreakers will progress as so,” Changmin continued. “The students will group themselves with at least three members and at most seven. Don’t ask why there’s a limit; I don’t know either. The groupings will also be by the seating arrangement, so say hello to your immediate seatmates with your names, hometowns, ages, and maybe some hobbies. Only. We’ll add some more things to do once you’re all done.”

            The students rushed to grab their nearby friends and cautiously reached out for their seatmates. The familiar aura and chatter of children awkwardly introducing themselves began.

            Heechul tapped Eunhyuk and Leeteuk, who grinned and smiled at him respectively; then he tapped the two on his sides and the one behind him. They all turned to him, and his right-hand seatmate nodded in understanding. The remaining two smiled kindly. Heechul pulled his lips thinly upwards.

            “Hi.

            “So um…

             “I hate icebreakers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are love uwu


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not really that content with this.... but i hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

            “Hi. So um… I hate icebreakers,” Heechul said awkwardly. One of his seatmates chuckled.

            “Me, too. I’m Kim Youngwoon, by the way,” Heechul’s right-hand seatmate introduced. “But just call me Kangin. I was born and raised in Seoul, and my birthday is on January 17. I’m seventeen now,” Kangin introduced. A nod of acknowledgement rippled through the five other males. Eunhyuk made the next move.

            “I’m Lee Hyukjae, but people just call me Eunhyuk most of the time. I’m from Seoul as well. I’m sixteen years old with my birthday being on April 4, and… well, as for hobbies, I like dancing and rapping,” Eunhyuk said.

            “I like dancing, too!” the boy behind Heechul interjected, making Heechul and Eunhyuk jump. Eunhyuk beamed after getting over his initial shock. The excited boy seemed to collect himself after that.

            “Oh, sorry. I’m Shin Dong-hee, but I’d like it if you just called me Shindong,” Shindong said, his expression slightly apologetic. “I’m from Mungyeong, and I’m seventeen years old. My birthday’s on September 28, and I like dancing and eating,” Shindong concluded.

            The rest of the introductions went much the same way. Leeteuk went after Shindong, only adding his hobbies such as exercising. Heechul followed up and told them he liked sleeping and playing games, and was then followed by Kim Jongwoon – he’d told them to call them Yesung. Yesung had come from Cheonan, but he moved to Seoul. He also liked singing and watching dramas, according to himself.

            Heechul hummed thoughtfully.

            “Have you watched the newest one on MBC? Like, it was called ‘이것은 드라마 다’ I think,” Heechul murmured. Yesung’s eyes lit up.

            “Yeah! I didn’t think you were the type of person to watch dramas like that,” Yesung said, still smiling. Heechul grinned back but didn’t say anything.

            Changmin clapped his hands together  _again_ , making Heechul turn quickly.

            “Alright, now that it seems like you guys have introduced yourselves to each other, the next part of the icebreaker will involve you guys forming circles – you can stay on your chairs, no worries – and then you’ll…” Changmin leaned in closer to a piece of paper he procured from the podium. “Sing…? Yeah, sing one or two of your favorite songs, mention a passage of one of your favorite books, and tell one of your favorite foods.”

            Heechul made a low grumble, but Yesung and Shindong both seemed elated.

            The six didn’t say much about their favorite books – they all read casually in their spare time but they didn’t feel too strongly for any particular book. The songs were much the same, but Yesung began singing his favorite song in earnest once the opportunity came.

            Heechul gave credit where it was due.

            “You sing amazingly,” Heechul whistled – not really, he couldn’t whistle, but his voice was airy, as if he’d have whistled if he could.

            Yesung flushed pink as he bowed his head in gratitude.

            When it came to their favorite foods, they were all particularly animated.

            “I personally like spicy pork a lot,” Shindong said, his nose twitching; as if he could smell the food item.

            “I like sushi a lot,” Leeteuk said with a smile. “And I might even treat you guys one day,” Leeteuk added as an afterthought. Shindong beamed and Heechul turned to him quickly.

            “If that’s the case, buy me some kimchi bokkeumbap, please,” Heechul said, his face bright with amusement. Leeteuk turned an eyebrow up at that but nodded.

            “That’s no fair! I like bananas, but they’re not worth getting treated for,” Eunhyuk said, his hands gesturing wildly around. Leeteuk laughed.

            “Better luck next time,” Leeteuk said, patting Eunhyuk on the back consolingly. Eunhyuk eased his movements and grinned.

            “Yesung likes fried kimchi,” Kangin informed, looking at Yesung for confirmation, who nodded. “I personally like all foods,” Kangin finished, turning to them now. Leeteuk seemed slightly inquisitive.

            “Are you two childhood friends?” Leeteuk asked, and Kangin looked at Yesung once more, who shrugged slightly this time around.

            “Er, not really. We’re neighbors, and it’s really our mothers who were close. I just found out Yesung liked fried kimchi because my mom asked me to go to his house when I was a kid and bring him some. She told me it was his favorite,” Kangin corrected. The rest hummed.

            “That’s nice,” Eunhyuk commented.

            “You know what else is nice?” Heechul interrupted. His five seatmates glanced at him. “The fact that I know four people so far who like moving around constantly and I don’t know whether or not to be proud of them or irritated because they actually  _enjoy_ physical exertion. Somehow.”

            Leeteuk, Eunhyuk, and Shindong all chuckled.

            “It’s actually rewarding to work out once you’ve tried,” Leeteuk confessed. Heechul seemed disgusted of the mere notion of ‘working out’.

            “I don’t want to try,” Heechul muttered. Leeteuk and Eunhyuk chuckled once more, with Leeteuk shoving Heechul slightly.

            The rest of the noise began dying down after that, and Heechul chanced a glance at Changmin. The teacher was using his phone, though his eyes skimmed over the students periodically. Once the chatter finally lowered into a mutter, the teacher pocketed his mobile and cleared his throat.

            The students turned to attention, and he smiled kindly.

            “The last part of the icebreakers will be a game of truth or dare,” Changmin announced. There was a dichotomous reaction that exploded among the room – some students were exhilarated, while some were particularly confused and unwilling to participate. Changmin didn’t really pay it much attention.

            “There will be five rounds in total for this game, with the first pertaining to your Mutations,” Changmin further continued. That seemed to peak the interest of all of the students.

            “The next four rounds can be about anything you want to talk about. You can start now,” Changmin finished. As the enrollees began the game, he checked twice if everyone had heard, then took his phone out again.

            Heechul focused his attention back to his seatmates and saw that Shindong was already buzzing with excitement.

            “Should we go clockwise or counter?” Yesung asked. Heechul and Kangin were rather nonchalant about it and didn’t find any need to respond. Eunhyuk and Leeteuk suggested to just go clockwise, though, so they decided to go with decision of the majority.

* * *

 

            “Truth or dare, Shindong?”  Yesung asked, hailed as the temporary arbitrator. Shindong seemed to debate between which one he should pick until Heechul helpfully pointed out that, “They’re both going to be about your Mutation. Save the decision making for the third to fifth round.”

            “Truth,” Shindong answered. Eunhyuk was the one to ask the question for the first round.

            “What’s your Mutation and how does it work?” Eunhyuk queried. Shindong lit up, happy to answer.

            “My Mutation is called Heightened Sense, and my Onslaught was when I was ten years old. I can basically smell things really well, probably as well or even better than a dog,” Shindong said. Eunhyuk seemed satisfied with the answer, and even slightly curious. But it wasn’t his turn to ask anymore.

            “Kangin hyung, truth or dare?”

            “Truth as well, I suppose.”

            “Well, I guess I’ll ask the same question.”

            Kangin barked out a quick rumbling laugh, fully aware as to the repetitiveness of this particular game. “My mutation’s named Herbal Healing. I was eight years old when I showed it for the first time, and the details about it can be a bit confusing. But I can basically heal anything as long as there’s a herbal or ‘organic’ way of treating it. I need to know the functions of lots of plants because I actually need to sort through my knowledge of them and find which one fits the situation best,” Kangin explained. Heechul definitely wouldn’t have pegged him for that.

            The first and second round proceeded similarly. Yesung had Sonic Boom, which had appeared when he was twelve and a half years old or so. His voice could go to supersonic levels and immense bass without much strain. Leeteuk and Eunhyuk once more relayed their abilities, Eunhyuk adding that he’d learnt about his Self Manipulation when he was about eight years old.

            Heechul had to wring his hands together before answering the ‘truth or dare’ that Eunhyuk had uttered.

            “Truth,” Heechul replied, his voice confident.

            “Same same,” Eunhyuk muttered. Heechul smiled at that.

            “My Onslaught was when I was eleven, and my Mutation’s called Wildfire,” Heechul began. The choked off exclamations were to be expected. “I can’t really say for sure how it works, because I’ve not been able to control it for as far as I can remember. But, I know that it can affect fire that’s pre-existing. And I can create fire, too,” Heechul finished.

            The astonished faces could be entertained later.

* * *

 

            “Shindong, truth or dare?” Heechul asked lamely. Shindong eagerly answered dare, puffing out his chest. Heechul then looked around the room, scanning the students inside.

            “Alright, then. I dare you to go over there,” Heechul started, pointing to Ryeowook’s group of seatmates, “and tell everyone there what they smell like by whispering it slowly into their ears really, _really_ slowly,” Heechul finished, rather dissatisfied with his dare. The whole answering their questions thing was bugging him. Shindong, on the other hand, looked downright horrified.

            “But that’s so weird!”

            Heechul looked up at him, smirking and quirking up an eyebrow. “Isn’t that sort of the point?”

            Shindong grumbled and got up, trekking towards Ryeowook. The rest of the six watched as Shindong suddenly whispered into Ryeowook’s, Siwon’s, Donghae’s, Kyuhyun’s, and the isolated Chinese boy’s ears. Ryeowook regarded him – a stranger to him and his seatmates – with a confused smile but nodded. Siwon laughed a small bit and pat Shindong on the back encouragingly. Siwon was just really approachable. Donghae was terribly bemused, but uncertainly pursed his lips upwards in a polite manner. Kyuhyun merely glared.

            The Chinese boy awkwardly listened, leaning his body towards Shindong for the Korean’s aid. Then, when Shindong finished his statement, the boy took some time to translate the words. In the end, he’d only given a sort of shrug-thumbs up mix in reply. Shindong skittered away in a hurry then huffed as he sat back down besides Heechul.

            Heechul was howling with laughter.

* * *

 

            The most memorable dare had been the one acted out by Eunhyuk, who all but seduced Changmin with what could probably be called a decent sexy dance. Changmin hadn’t gotten angry, though, which was a relief. But he did record Eunhyuk dancing, all the while laughing his lungs out.

            Heechul was delightfully pleased when no one probed about his Mutation after he’d painstakingly tried for six minutes to light himself on fire. He hadn’t done it, but they’d asked him to stop because he was becoming slightly red – with exertion, exhaustion, or something else they didn’t know.

            Then Changmin announced that the icebreakers were finished, and they all whooped in an excited unison. Then he’d said the school tour would be occurring in about half an hour, and the students grumbled instead.

            Grueling school activities, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are love uwu


	12. Chapter 12

            The students had been asked to line up loosely outside by Changmin, and the enrollees all abided accordingly. Heechul and Leeteuk both rushed to the doors, Heechul sprinting to keep up with the exponentially more fit elder. Kangin was tailing behind the two, struggling a bit. In the end, they’d ended up at the front of the lines.

            The teenagers were filling up the hallways in large numbers, making a vague representation of about four queues. Leeteuk, Heechul, and Kangin placed themselves at the fore of the line closest to the left side of the wall. Changmin once more called the attention of the students with a loud clap.

            “To the three Chinese students, come up here,” he requested, saying the words slowly. The aforementioned trio wove through the bodies of students and arrived up front.

            “Keep close to the Head Boy during the tour,” Changmin then advised, turning around quickly to glance at his ringing phone. He answered it, his back turned towards the students. As he muttered into his mobile, the three foreign students inched even closer to Leeteuk, the conjoined pair once more sticking close together and attaching themselves to Leeteuk’s left, where Kangin lingered. The outcast among the three had hovered around Heechul – who was on Leeteuk’s righthand side – and he’d once more observed the male.

            The boy’s posture was much less subdued. In fact, he was standing with something akin to confidence this time around. His hair was also combed upwards, most probably by his fingers. Heechul quite liked the look.

            The redhead turned his head towards Changmin, who had noisily ended the phone call with a sound which was a mix of a harrumph and a whine.

            “Alright, well, we’re not going to be joined by another teacher like the program originally planned out,” Changmin sighed. “He’s busy setting up and fixing together the rooms from last year’s destruction, so he couldn’t come.” Heechul briefly wondered who the other teacher was.

            “Well, whatever, I guess. Follow me,” Changmin said, gesturing towards the students.

            As one, the entire student body moved behind the teacher, beginning the tour.

\---

            The school compound had proved to be bigger than they’d expected. Every twist and turn had held more boundless sights than they’d seen from yesterday; rooms and shacks hidden behind the larger establishments; hallways hidden behind staircases; even a pool blending in with its neighboring lake.

            While Heechul was in awe of everything, he’d paid the most attention to the two academic buildings. The one on the left side from the entrance was the main academic building – for usual subjects like Math and Science and such – which he’d be spending a lot of his time at. Then there was the other academic building which was for their Mutations. The first building had been the tallest among the main four, housing facilities all throughout it. In the main academic building there had been the usual assortment of classrooms and teacher’s faculty rooms. Everything had been painted and laid out casually, much like any other school – beiges and browns with your usual sized facilities and pathways. But there had also been interesting faculties; one littered with literal dirt and grime everywhere, then one decorated eccentrically. The teaching rooms were also rather immaculate, looking like a college study hall; what with circular seats and tables traversing the entire width of the room. Heechul made sure to remember the classrooms he’d need to go to and the extra compartments and rooms that Changmin had helpfully pointed out.

            The Mutations building, though, was quite like  _nothing_  Heechul had ever seen before. It seemed almost threatening; shorter than all the other buildings but covered in thick sheets of metal, and smack in the middle of the entire compound. But then they’d entered, and Heechul’s breath was knocked out of his lungs.

            The insides were painted lightly, with the floors a shining, homey, varnished wood. It looked nothing like the outside. The corridors and hallways were wide and spacious, allowing for easy access of the multitude of students present. There were rooms hidden behind solid, light peach doors. There were windows everywhere, bathing the entire building in a comfortable light and warmth as the air conditioning blew through gently. And that was only the first floor. And this is where it began changing.

            They’d been led to an elevator, where the buttons on the panel only had one floor going up and then five going down. There had been multiple elevators all around, and Changmin had ordered the enrollees to either take one patiently or go down with stairs. Heechul, Leeteuk, and the isolated Chinese boy were one of the few to join Changmin on the first trip. Changmin had pressed on B5, the lowest – highest? – setting on the panel board. The elevators were swift with the transport, bringing them there within a minute.

            They’d exited the box of steel and been faced with another.

            The walls gleamed, the reflections of the students bouncing off of them. The paths were still spacious, but the floor was no longer the welcoming wood but yet another sheet of plain hard metal. Each one of the students trickling from the stairs and elevators added to the muted swarm of enrollees on the glinting surfaces around them; the reflections stared cautiously at their counterparts.

            The danger Heechul had felt from the exterior hadn’t been misplaced.

            They explored more of the facility, with Changmin educating them about the structures and what their purpose was. The rooms in the basement - all five of them had looked relatively the same - were for the ability to control the situation and environment the students would be using their Mutations in. They didn't want any possible incidents to occur during the studying, so they had built up a building with steel walls and other nearly impenetrable, unimpressionable materials. The above-ground floor had been more of a relaxing place where the students would use their Mutations in a non-combat setting. That and the school personnel wanted it to be simple and homey and approachable.

            Of course the exterior said otherwise, but whatever.

            Afterwards, they had gone to see the gymnasium on the second floor of the Mutations building. There was a wide variety of equipment for students like Leeteuk, but Heechul had no interest in that, so he’d glanced at the Chinese student once more instead.

            The boy had seemed confused for the better part of the tour, processing the Korean – a foreign language for him – in his head slowly. He’d soaked up all of the visual aspects of the tour, but his face scrunched up in concentration each time Changmin spoke in rapid Korean. Heechul kind of pitied the male.

            “The three Chinese kids seem pretty lost, huh?” Kangin commented, leaning in towards Heechul and Leeteuk to whisper; effectively breaking Heechul away from his stupor. Leeteuk nodded sympathetically and Heechul hummed. “I wonder if they’re going to need Korean classes in addition to their other academics,” Kangin wondered to himself.

            Heechul, Kangin, and Leeteuk all chatter minutely for the rest of the trip – Changmin had led them through the backdoor facilities like the school pool and the track. The end of the tour had been shortly after that, with Changmin leading them all back to the meeting room.

\---

            “So, that’s all for today. I hope you’ve all learnt some things about the school compound, and also some about your seatmates,” Changmin said, smiling lightly. Heechul didn’t know whether or not to take the teacher’s words seriously, but he chuckled anyway. He slid down his chair and leant his head on his own shoulder. Just as he did so, Changmin exited the room, spurring the students to all stand and leave.

            Heechul glanced at his phone and read the time – 17:34 in the afternoon. Humming disinterestedly, he pocketed his phone and stood up, prompting Leeteuk to do the same. He glanced around for Kangin, Yesung, Shindong, or Eunhyuk. When he found none of the former three, he ducked under the arms of enrollees and grabbed Eunhyuk – who had been rotating around in a spot confusedly – before chasing after Leeteuk’s retreating back with Eunhyuk’s wrist in hand.

            “Yah! Wait for me, you bastard!” Heechul hissed, tugging on Eunhyuk’s arm slightly and eliciting a yelp from the blond. Leeteuk turned to the redhead and snickered, slowing down.

            “What took you so long?” Leeteuk teased. Heechul huffed, letting go of Eunhyuk and crossing his own arms across his chest. He eased them off of each other, though, and answered.

            “I was looking for either one of our seatmates earlier,” Heechul admitted, his eyes once more going to skim the room. Once more, none of the three appeared in his line of sight, so he just sighed.

            “Let’s go upstairs then.”


	13. Chapter 13

            Heechul blinked himself awake, squinting at the light overhead.

           The third day of pre-opening was a free-for-all affair, where the enrollees could do whatever they wanted. Heechul had decided to just lounge around and maybe meet up with some of the other students he’d met so far. Firstly, though, he propped himself up on his arms and got off of his bed. He checked the time on his phone, reading out a fairly early 7:17 in the morning.

        He went over to his side of the left closet and took out a random assortment of clothes, proceeding to then peruse his roommates. Siwon was sleeping comfortably on his left side; clutching a pillow tightly with his jet black hair strewn all over the cushion. He had come back up a bit late the previous night, as he’d actually taken the time to establish some semblance of a friendship with his icebreaker seatmates. Heechul’s eyes then flitted to Donghae, who was sleeping on his side as well. The dark-haired brunet had come only a short while after Leeteuk and Heechul. His handsome features were peaceful in slumber, his lips somewhat tugging downwards. Leeteuk’s sleeping figure was a familiar sight to Heechul – the elder curled around himself, his blanket thrown up to his chin.

            Heechul tore his eyes away from the other boys and headed inside the bathroom, throwing his towel over his shoulder and mussing his hair around with a sigh.

\---

            Leeteuk stretched when he woke up, unfurling his back and then cracking his joints back in place. He glanced quickly at the watch on his wrist and groaned. It was 7:42 AM. Otherwise known as: far too early for a day without classes. He tried burrowing his face back into his pillow for at least a few more minutes of sleep, but was interrupted with the loud sound of trickling water in the too quiet room.

            He turned his head to the source of the sound and found a sliver of light peeking out from under the bathroom door. He scanned the room and noticed Heechul’s empty bed, prompting a huffed out breath from the brunet – Leeteuk cringed at the foul stench of his own morning breath. Regardless, he swung his legs over the side of his bed and rubbed his eyes.

            Just as his feet hit the cold floor, the sound of water from the bathroom ceased. Leeteuk blew out a puff of air and then proceeded to get some clothes from his closet – he’d settled for a plain white shirt, a plaid flannel, and faded blue ripped denim jeans.

            When Leeteuk glanced behind him, the bathroom door was open and Heechul was standing in the doorway. The redhead’s cherry hair was covered by his personal faded red towel. As Heechul tore his eyes away from the floor, his onyx orbs found Leeteuk’s form and the younger waved.

            “Hiya,” Heechul greeted, a toothbrush in his mouth. Leeteuk smiled up kindly at him and waved in return, pushing himself off of the floor afterwards. 

            “Are you going to eat first or will you wait up for us?” Leeteuk inquired, heading towards the shower. 

            “I’ll wait up. I don’t want to look like a loser with no friends,” Heechul said, flipping his phone out once more in boredom. Leeteuk smiled, closing the bathroom door at the same time. 

—

            Heechul was the last to finish breakfast, and he’d been the last to enter back into their room as well. The four then promptly went back to being comfortably unaware of each others' existences as they faced their phones. Heechul’s fingers were rampant on his screen, switching from Instagram to his games repeatedly. Leeteuk was scrolling through his Twitter feed, humming along to a song playing on his mobile at the same time. Siwon and Donghae were tapping away, texting their friends and loved ones.

            Three consecutive, timid knocks echoed around the room amidst the mild silence of the males and their phones. The quartet inside the room turned their heads to the door curiously, with Heechul promptly reacting first. The redhead walked over to the doorway and pried the teak slab of wood ajar.

            Standing on the other side of the door were the three Chinese students that had arrived yesterday. The seemingly inseparable pair was still attached at the hip, their heads downcast. The other boy was the one with a fist held up to the door.

            “Hi,” Heechul greeted, opening the door a tad bit more. The duo’s heads swiveled upwards, and the raven-haired male flushed pink.

            “Hello,” the three all said in a tangled disarray of intonations, bowing as well. Heechul raised a brow at their wonky pronunciation.

            “This is where the… uh… Head Boy is, right?” the tall, cinnamon-haired boy asked, his voice unsure. Heechul nodded in response.

            “We were hoping that maybe we could talk and socialize with other students,” the shortest male informed. He paused often, but so far, he was the best out of the three in speaking Korean.

            Heechul just shrugged without much thought and then opened the door wide. With his arms gesturing inwards, he invited the three inside.

            Leeteuk looked up from his phone when he heard Heechul’s footsteps drawing nearer. Leeteuk knit his brows together as he muttered, “Hey, who was that- oh.”

            The three Chinese students once more bowed down at the sight of the other three room inhabitants. Heechul chuckled.

            “They were looking to see people who they could talk to. I guess they decided to go to the reliable kid in the batch,” Heechul said, walking over to his bed past the foreign students. As he plopped himself down on his mattress, he added, “So I hereby decree a Time of Introductions.”

\---

            “Seasoning?” Heechul blurted out questioningly.

            The tall boy nodded, not really knowing what the difference between what he said and what the redhead said was. ZhouMi and Jomi sounded very alike to the boy.

            "... Okay. And then Henry and Hankyung, right? Though Hankyung’s Chinese name is Han Geng," Leeteuk had then asked as a follow-up. The aforementioned two nodded, Henry’s auburn hair flopping about adorably on his head as he gave a particularly eager nod.

            "And you're all from China. Except for Henry, who’s from the United States but with Chinese roots," Donghae then said. The boy in question beamed.

            There was a mild silence that then settled; none of the inhabitants of the room knew what to do. Siwon was smiling, though he was just as awkward as the rest of them. Heechul was bored, Leeteuk was thinking of a way to socialize, and the others were either twiddling with their hands or looking around the room. Heechul broke the silence as he made a sound – a mix of excited and aggravated – which called the attention of those in the room.

            "Alright now to the juicy part,” Heechul said, clapping his hands together loudly and clearing his throat. His eyes lit up with excitement – or was it mischief? Either way, his words wreaked havoc.

            “Hobbies?"

            The three foreign enrollees registered the word quickly, and their eyes lit up.

            "I really like singing!" Zhoumi exclaimed, his words coming out surprisingly clear and well enunciated.

            "Me, too!" Henry chirped, turning to face the taller Chinese male. The two began talking about the hobby in earnest, arms flailing and voices booming. Their words quickly turned into intelligible sounds, which Heechul could only assume was Chinese.

            Spurred on by the sudden enthusiasm filling the air, Donghae took to commenting. "Do any of you dance?" he had inquired, his hazel irises shaking with anticipation.

            Hankyung’s head spun around, and his eyes met Donghae’s. The younger boy grinned, elated.

            “I do,” Hankyung muttered; his voice was higher than usual due to excitement, but still unsure.

            “Cool! Which types of dance do you like?” Donghae queried, to which Hankyung stayed silent for a while, pondering both his answer and the words.

            “Any,” Hankyung said, settling for a short answer. Donghae wasn’t at all put out and started talking to the foreign student. His words were fast, and Hankyung often looked lost. Heechul pitied the boy.

            “Siwon? You going to contribute anything?” Heechul asked, turning his attention to the chaebol. Siwon shook his head.

            “I’m okay. I’m actually just trying to see if I still remember my Chinese lessons,” Siwon informed. Heechul cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

            “You took lessons?” Heechul inquired, to which Siwon nodded and Leeteuk turned to the two.

            “I still remember quite a bit, I think. See, I had requested for lessons from my father as a child. He hadn’t hesitated to schedule lessons and seemed rather happy,” Siwon explained.

            Heechul hummed while Leeteuk titled his head up in thought.

            “Do you think that you could help them with translating?” Leeteuk queried, and Siwon pondered over it. “Only if you’re comfortable with it,” Leeteuk added quickly. Siwon shook his head, dismissing the worry that came over the eldest’s features.

            “Of course, hyung. There’s no problem,” Siwon said, smiling gently at the brunet. Leeteuk let out a sigh of relief and smiled back in turn.

\---

            Donghae and Hankyung had begun to speak slower, though still charged with energy. Zhoumi and Henry’s Chinese was constant and rapid, rendering all but Siwon clueless as to the conversation.

            In the middle of a loud, joyous exclaim that Henry had made, a cacophony of knocks and snickers bounded off from the door. Siwon stood up from his bed and opened the door quickly, sending a soft greeting to those on the other side.

            Yesung, Kangin, Sungmin, and Ryeowook all greeted back quickly, grinning.

            “Mind if we come in?” Kangin asked, and Siwon shook his head, moving away from the door.

            “No problem,” Siwon said, then, “We do have some other guests, though.”

            That only encouraged Yesung, who quickly poked his head around the small corner and saw the group. Henry and Zhoumi were still talking to each other excitedly, unaware to the new visitors. Donghae and Hankyung were both turned to Yesung, who smiled broadly.

            “Hey, Yesung,” Heechul greeted, smirking from his bed.  “Didn’t think that you’d all actually have the knack to go into rooms yet,” Heechul commented afterwards. Yesung shrugged.

            “I suppose we all just feel very comfortable with each other,” Yesung said.

            “Right!” Ryeowook trilled, coming into the room and stopping once he saw the transfer students. Yesung smiled at the younger boy, laughing as well once Ryeowook flushed pink.

            “I’m sorry, I was being loud,” Ryeowook apologized, bowing to Hankyung in particular. Henry and Zhoumi only now noticed the others and quieted hastily.

            “They were also being loud, it’s just fair,” Heechul said, nonchalant but with a teasing expression.

            Ryeowook chuckled, but still seemed apologetic. Heechul knit his brows together.

            “No, seriously. We’re all just lonely students here,” Heechul murmured. He had absolutely no tact. But his tactlessness made Ryeowook snort, and the mood cleared up. The raven-haired boy glanced at the Chinese students and lowered his head as a form of greeting.

            “Hello there. I’m Kim Ryeowook, nice to meet you!”


End file.
